Babylon 5: Darkness Wakes One: The Loss of Peace
by Gary Boshears
Summary: Updated 12/24/02 - Chapter Seven added! As the crew of the EAS Hades makes a dangerous discovery, the Keilmar cross a line where there is no turning back. On Hiatus. Please Read & REVIEW!!!
1. Prologue

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**_Babylon 5: Darkness Wakes_**

**_Movement One: 2272 – The Loss of Peace_****_  
  
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**By **

**Gary A. Boshears**  
  
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************** STARRING *****************   
Liam Neeson as Admiral Jerry Barnes

**Tracy Scroggins as Captain Elizabeth Lochley Richard Dean Anderson as Captain Edward MacDonald ****Elizabeth Barones as Assistant Director Julia Rourke **

**Jennifer Aniston as Captain Leslie Griffon**

**Avery Brooks as Vice Admiral Michael Taylor**

Terry Farrell as Captain Sarah McDouglass 

**Tom Wilson as Colonel Nathan Meade**

**Robert Duncan McNiel as Commander Connor MacKenzie**

**Simon Billig as Ranger Greg Giovoni Jeff Conaway as Security Chief Zack Allan ****Tara Reid as Captain Alyssa Horack ****Donna Murphy as General Lillian McDouglass **

**Anthony Zerbe as General William Pack**

**Ewan McGregor as Captain Gene Summers**

**WITH**

**Mark Hamil as Senator William Cutler**

**Kristin Kreuk as Natalie Johnson **

**Malcolm McDowell as Warleader Na'Goth**

**Joshua Cox as Commander David Corwin**

**Marshall Teague as Ta'Lon**

**AND**

**Bruce Boxleitner as President John Sheridan**

  
  


**************** PART ONE: THE GATHERING STORM *****************  
****************** PROLOGUE *******************

"It was the beginning of the Earth year 2272.  It was a year that, unlike many years, started out with hope; hope that the galaxy had finally come to some sort of peace.  The Drahk crisis, for the time had ended as did those crises that were born from it.  Earth and the rest of the Interstellar Alliance were getting back on their feet and even I saw some hope for the future.  Hope however fades.  It was not long after the start of the year when we found ourselves in a war that would change all of us.  It was a war that would test alliances, friendships and the hearts of every soldier who fought in it.  It was a war that, in the end, was fought because of a greater enemy, an enemy all of us should have been preparing for.  In the end, it was an event that would change the galaxy, more than we could have possibly imagined."

                        _--Excerpt from "2248 - 2296: History From A Soldier's Eyes" by Admiral Edward MacDonald_

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**TEMPLE OF C'LEM'ES, C'LES HOME WORLD  
 JANUARY 6, 2272, 00:11 EST **

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A figure clad in gray robes moved silently through the ancient stone temple.  It was the oldest temple on the C'Les home world, indeed the oldest building on their world, surpassing even the palace of the ruling family of the C'Les, a building constructed more than ten thousand years prior.  No one knew for sure when it had been constructed, the date having been long lost in their recorded history, and hence, no one completely understood its secrets.

            He slid into an obscured room, apart from the main gathering room of the temple.  There, another figure, clad in the same simple gray robes sat silently studying writing engraved into the ancient stonewalls.  It was an older script, almost as old as the temple.  Though history did not record whose writings they were, legend and popular belief indicated that they were the writings of C'Lem'Es himself, the greatest prophet of their race.  Their religion, indeed their entire culture and society was based on his teachings.  Everything was modeled after what he had taught before their history had been recorded.  His teachings were passed down throughout the ages but these were the only writings thought to have been originals of his work.

            The other figure gestured to a series of symbols in the middle of one of the walls on the other side of the room where he stood.  The first stood beside him and studied the set of symbols.  He then began to understand why he was called here so urgently.  The writings on these walls and the rest of the prophecies of C'Lem'Es had been quite accurate at predicting history throughout its course.

            "The time draws near," the one that had previously been in the room said, his voice laced with concern.  He gestured to a particular symbol showing how the moons and stars were aligned, indicating a date, today's date.

            "Indeed," the second figure concurred.  "There is nothing that can stop it now."

            The first figure turned quizzically towards him.  "You let your hope fade so easily young one, how blind you have become."  He gestured to another set of writing slightly below the ones they were currently observing.  "C'Lem'Es himself writes that there is hope; that even from the ashes of defeat, victory may still be possible."

            "We must speak with the elders," the second figure chimed in, his voice raised with alarm.  He had a limited view of the universe, believing all matters of importance involved their race playing the key part.  Little did he realize the grand scope of the matters they were now faced with.

            The first figure turned away from the wall entirely and looked down at his student.  He was considerably taller than him and the student always recognized being looked down upon as a sign of disapproval.  "You do not realize my student, there is little we can do, ultimately, this battle against evil will not be decided by us but decided by our friends in the Alliance and most importantly, by the humans."

            "You would put our fate in the hands of the humans?"  His student scoffed in response.  He took a dim view of almost all the other races they shared the galaxy with but there was something that bothered him more particularly about the humans.  "You would put our fate and the fate of the galaxy in the hands of a people who are so far behind us on the path to enlightenment?"

            "It is not my choice!"  He quickly countered.  Though his student still showed a great deal of potential, it was too often he allowed his personal feelings on situations to get in the way of his interpretations of the writings of the C'Lem'Es.  He would have to learn to control over his opinions and emotions before he would be able to truly interpret their holy words.  "It is written," he pointed out a single line of symbols.  "That they will be the ones to lead the sword of the galaxy against the darkness from afar and that their alliance will carry the sword and the shield.  We can only hope to support them."

            "There is still time," his student rebutted.  "Time enough to counter them if we move quickly.  I am not willing to accept that the humans and their alliance are our only hopes, there must still be something we can do with the time that remains."

            "Time?  You yourself said that there was nothing that could stop it now.  How quickly you change your mind when forced to realize that our greatest hope lies with a people you do not believe are worthy of our time."  He turned away and began gliding out of the room, his student following slightly behind him, never stepping to his side as they moved down the long stone halls, lit only by a faint orange torch light.  "Their forces are already moving, in the shadows.  Powerful currents are moving towards each other at unstoppable speeds and will soon collide; there is nothing we can do now to prevent it.  We can only hope they realize what they must do before it is too late."  A simple wooden door at the end of a long, solitary path opened as they approached it.  They stepped through it and on to a balcony, giving them a magnificent view of their capital city.  In the late night hours, the towering buildings made of semi-transparent blue, green, purple, white and silver buildings were lit with deep blue lights from within that gave an astonishing view of the upper levels of the temple.

            "Then, you will not speak to the elders?"  His student asked in a more gentle tone, somewhat humbled by the previous exchange between him and his teacher.  He was forced to admit that he still had a great deal to learn even though it was something far from easily admitted.

            "I will tell them only what I know and what I suspect, leaving the decisions to their judgment.  I will not attempt to influence their decisions, only tell them what C'Lem'Es teaches us of these times and what he prophecies will happen.  It is a difficult time we now face my young apprentice, a time in which all of us will be tested and," he looked to the stars.  They were bright this evening, brighter then most it seemed.  "A time in which the galaxy will burn.  I can only pray that the humans and the others make the right choices in time to prevent the darkness from waking and eclipsing all of us.  For if they don't, none of us will survive."

***

            Half a galaxy away, a single explorer ship was on a course for destiny.  Approaching a world long forgotten by the affairs of the galaxy, it settled into orbit for what was supposed to be a routine survey mission.  Mere moments later, the ship was enveloped in flames, destroyed.  The rubble hung lifeless in space as its destroyers moved silently away, for they had much work to do in preparation as the time of their emergence had finally drawn near.

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**EARTH FORCE HQ, GENEVA, EARTH  
 JANUARY 6, 2272, 02:48 EST**

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            The central command center of Earth Force Headquarters was a frenzy.  This room normally operated under reduced staff at these hours of the day but it currently had an over abundance of people, a large number of personnel along with specialists having been summoned to the command center within the last hour.  All stations were manned with most officers dutifully attending to their assignments while others simply stood about, waiting to see what it was they had all been called here for.

            The call they had received telling them to report for duty had been somewhat less than specific as to why they were all being called to Earth Force HQ.  Rumors as to why they had been summoned had already circulated from the small group of officers who had been on duty before the others arrived; all of which, rather true or not, seemed to have something to do with the loss of an Explorer class ship an a previously unexplored region of space that bordered what was formerly Vorlon territory.  Whatever it was, they knew it had to be important as General Pack, the highest ranked General below the Joint Chiefs and Commander of the active Earth Force military, had been called and was on his way to take command of the situation.

            As the level of noise and speculation throughout the room had risen to its high, General Pack strode through a secure access door from his private office into the command center, moving immediately to the front briefing area.  In a matter of seconds, the room drew to a sudden silence as the General prepared to address them.  "I'll get right to the point," the General said sternly.  "Almost two hours ago we lost contact with the EAS _Columbus_ who was on a standard exploration mission on the other side of Vorlon territory.  Given the fact that the area where it disappeared is unexplored and we're not sure what we may be dealing with, I've placed the nearby Seventh Fleet on Alert Status Delta and ordered General Deming to launch a rescue operation immediately.  I want constant monitoring of that operation from here along with quick and decisive analysis of anything they find."  He brought his right hand from behind his back and tapped several controls on the chest high podium in front of him.

The display screen behind him, which covered the width of the room as well as its two-story height, shifted from a blank screen to a multi-colored, three-dimensional tactical map that displayed the system where their ship had disappeared as well as Earth Alliance icons representing the position of the Seventh Fleet, just outside of the system, as well as the rescue force which had jumped ahead of the main fleet.  "Now, General Deming has had the destroyer EAS _Athena_ along with several search and rescue vessels jump ahead of the fleet and they'll be entering the system where the _Columbus_ disappeared in approximately seven minutes.  I want constant communication and support for that ship.  Get to it people."

The atmosphere in the room became one of tension as General Pack finished his brisk, to the point briefing and summary of the situation.  Taking no further time for small talk, all of the assembled officer and enlisted personnel went to their duties.  General Pack took up a position behind the main communications station where a young Lieutenant had established an open channel to the EAS _Athena_.  The seconds ticked by as they listened to the preparations onboard the Omega class destroyer while attending to their own duties.  The Captain of the destroyer had ordered a yellow alert, prepping fighter squadrons to launch in support of the search and rescue ships when they jumped into the system as well as having the ship's defense grid powered.

The time continued to pass until the background chatter from the bridge of the EAS _Athena _was overpowered by the voice of her Captain.  "All crew, standby for jump!"  He said loudly and with a clear authority in his voice.  Seconds later, a crewmember could be heard informing him that the jump engines were online and jump coordinates had been locked in.

General Pack instinctively took a deep breath and held it, waiting for the Captain to give the order to jump.  These types of situations were exactly the type that he did not like sending ships into.  For all they knew, a fleet of hostile ships could be waiting in that system; the _Athena_ and her crew of over eight hundred could be charging head first into their deaths.  He had sent too many ships and crews to their deaths in his time and he had no wish to add another to that list today.

"Jump!"  The Captain gave the command.  The crew were heard carrying out his orders and the display screen soon updated itself showing the destroyer along with the three search and rescue ships entering the system.  A crewmember on the bridge of the _Athena _informed the Captain that the jump had been successful and they were initiating sensor scans of the surrounding space while another chimed in that they were launching fighters.

General Pack leaned forward slightly, over the shoulder of a Lieutenant Commander operating the station responsible for receiving the sensor relay from the _Athena_ and the other search and rescue ships, all the while keeping his eyes focused on the screen, anticipating any new information coming through.  "How long of a delay can we expect in receiving sensor information?"  The General questioned.

Tapping digital controls on the screen in front of him and studying the status of the tachyon relay that brought them the sensor readings from the _Athena_, the officer answered that the delay would be anywhere from six to fifteen seconds, depending on several factors.

"Very good," Pack acknowledged and returned to standing straight and gazing at the screen.  The tactical display now showed twelve Thunderbolt fighters launched from the _Athena _that were proceeding to search the system, specifically the area near the planet the _Columbus_ had been assigned to study.  Shortly after they neared the planet, the voice from one of the pilots broke the silence that had settled back in at the Earth Force command center.

"Thunder Flight lead to _Athena_, we're picking up a large amount of debris here on the other side of the planet," as the pilot spoke, the tactical display again updated, showing several images of a large field of debris near the fighters.  "From the amount and the looks, it appears to be consistent with an Explorer class ship.  We're moving in for a closer look to attempt identification."

The Captain of the _Athena_ was on the channel immediately following the transmission from the pilot.  "_Athena_ copies Thunder Flight, proceed with caution, report back when you've made positive identification of the debris."  The Captain did a commendable job of disguising the concern that was evident in his voice.  The realization of their situation had sunk into his mind; if anything other than a catastrophic accident had destroyed the _Columbus_ it was a great possibility that the Earth Alliance was now at war, a war in which he now stood on the front lines of.

During the time in which the fighters conducted their scans, the commander center of Earth Force HQ as well as the bridge of the _Athena_ remained silent, the personnel in each carrying on with their duties while trying not to focus on the possibilities of what the destruction of the _Columbus _could mean, most tried to not allow such thoughts to interfere with their jobs.

General Pack intently watched the sensor display as the fighters maneuvered about the field of wreckage.  As he watched, in a split second time that could easily have been missed with the blink of an eye, the fighters disappeared.  A barrage of whispers, speculation as to what had just happened, erupted in the room as others took in what the General had.

"Captain, we're tracking several new contacts approaching from the far side of the planet, unknown configuration!"  As the alarmed voice of an officer on the bridge of the _Athena_ made his report, the display at Earth Force updated to show a generic symbol for an unidentified ship approaching from an area near where the fighters had disappeared.

"Red alert!  All crew to battle stations, standby weapons and defense grid!"  The Captain of the destroyer barked his orders amidst the sounding klaxon alarms.    The unknown contacts closed rapidly on the _Athena_'s position as her tactical officer announced that they would be in firing range in two minutes, followed by the Captain ordering the remainder of their fighters deployed and the search and rescue ships to fall into an attack formation.

General Pack moved quickly to the master communications station.  "Order General Deming to begin moving the Seventh Fleet in to backup the _Athena_; he should be monitoring their feed the same as us, tell them we presume the unknown contacts to be hostile."

Working the console in front of him with an urgent speed, the officer quickly sent the message.  Within seconds, General Deming had acknowledged the order and the Seventh Fleet was on the move.  Seeing that his orders were carried out, Pack returned to helplessly watching as the unknown ships closed on the _Athena_ and her small task force.  They rounded the planet and formed into what he could only call an attack formation.

Voices on the bridge of the destroyer rang out, stating that the ships were arming weapons, using some sort of power source they had never seen.  The Captain then ordered his communications officer to open a channel to the ships.  "This is Captain Jeremy Bennett of the Earth Alliance starship _Athena_, we have no desire to engage you and ask that your ships power down their weapons so that we may negotiate as civilized people."  The Captain's pleas were cut short.

General Pack and the others in the command center watched and listened in horror as the situation unfolded, turning into chaos.  The seven ships, small vessels, close in size to that of the Alliance White Star, broke formation and fired on the _Athena_, her fighters and the search and rescue ships.  The first volleys from the four ships attacking the _Athena_ ripped through her hull, disabling her propulsion and artificial gravity systems, effectively crippling the destroyer.  The remaining fighters tried in vain to save their mother ships, firing with cannons and missiles on the attackers.  Their fight was over within minutes as the virtually undamaged hostile ships finished off the last of the fighters and continued to slice into the broken hulk of the _Athena_.

All who watched were stunned.  Most of them were young and had never in their time seen an Earth destroyer and it's fighters finished off so quickly and easily.  Pack could think of only one time when he had witnessed such a thing and not even the Minbari had displayed such a deadly efficiency in their attacks during the war.

"General," a voice rang out from across the command center, pulling Pack away from the screen and the battle momentarily.  "General Deming reports the Seventh Fleet is in position and standing by to initiate jump."

Pack hesitated, realizing that if he gave the order, he could be ordering so many more people to their deaths and sending Earth into a war.  Looking at the screen a final time, seeing the hostile ships continue to gut the defenseless _Athena_, his hesitation ended, he never was one to back down from a fight and he knew the crew of the Seventh Fleet was not either.  The General gave his order with confidence, "Send them in."

*******

            The hostile attack ships, whose appearance was compared by the humans who saw them to looking something like a predator insect, maneuvered along the hull of the crippled destroyer, striking it with another series of energy beams from the nose of their ships.  They had stripped almost every major system from the ship but had managed to leave it intact.  The surviving crew could do nothing but watch and pray as their attackers mercilessly tormented them; every attack they feared would be their last but they were continuously allowed to live and allow the fear to return as the next attack came.

            Regrouping, the attack ships charged back towards the _Athena_, preparing to deliver the coup de grâce when they were struck by a multitude of energy blasts.  The blue and white energy of three-dozen jump points ripped through the blackness of space, poring forth a plethora of Earth Force warships.  The first ships through unleashed multiple volleys of pulse cannons, lasers and missiles upon the ships attacking the _Athena_, destroying three and causing the others to break off their attack and run at best speed away from the Earth fleet.

            On the bridge of the fleet flagship, the Warlock class destroyer _Rasputin_, General Deming smiled, watching the remaining four ships turn tail and run, the purple glow of their engines in his sights.  Deming, being no stranger to combat and to wars, he could not allow these ships to escape, for they would surely bring others.  Though he did not doubt the capabilities of his own forces, he did not want to face a full fleet of these unknown forces, having been given a taste of their technological and combat abilities.

            "Lieutenant," Deming snapped to face Lieutenant Meyers at the communications station.  "Order the _Rhode Island_, the _Proxima_ and the _Powell_ to pursue this ships.  Disable them if possible, destroy them is necessary, just don't allow them to send a signal or to escape."  Lieutenant Meyers quickly relayed the General's orders to the three destroyers who powered their engines and moved ahead of the fleet, closing to weapons range of the remaining hostiles.  Turning to his executive officer, Deming gave orders for the fleet to be deployed to shield the _Athena_ and to launch rescue vessels, trying to save any of her crew that survived.

            On his personal tactical display, located on a panel directly in front of his command chair, Deming watched the three ships close on the remaining attackers, nearing weapons range.  Then, something unexpected happened; the four ships turned and engaged the Earth destroyers, a fierce firefight erupting between them.  Every weapon in the arsenal of the destroyer was unleashed on the hostile ships, which used their superior maneuverability to dodge most of the incoming fire and attack the critical areas of the larger destroyers.  Even as two of the attack ships went down, the other two continued their assaults.  They were not to be outnumbered for long however.  Three jump points formed almost on top of the Earth destroyers, four additional attack ships leaping from each into combat.

            General Deming felt his blood heat as the ever-familiar feeling of battle was upon him again.  He quickly issued orders for half of the fleet to move ahead to support the three destroyers and engage the hostile ships.  He wanted to make a show of force against whomever these new enemies were, to show them that the Earth Alliance would not back down from a fight.  His crew quickly went to issuing the orders and coordinating the ships in their attack.

            It was not long after the ships closed and engaged the attackers that General Deming realized he had made a critical mistake.  An audible alert at the tactical station on the bridge drew his attention to the Lieutenant Commander operating it.  He was silent, his eyes grew large and his expression cold as he studied the display.  He could not speak and when Deming demanded a report he stuttered at first before finding the words.  "General, detecting twenty-three jump points forming all around the fleet."

            Deming, not bothering to look at his tactical display, looked through the only window on the bridge, his heart missing a beat as he watched what was happening outside.  Dozens of ships, similar in design to those his fleet was already engaged with, emerged from the jump point.  Attack ships, cruisers, destroyers and fighters closed on the Earth Force fleet.  As he watched them surrounding his forces, Deming realized this had been their plan all along, both groups of his ships were cut off from one another, each with no place to run.  Whoever his new opponents were, they were clever, too clever.  The General sunk into his chair, it was over and he knew it, there was now only one thing left to do, make his enemies fight.  "All ships break and attack."  

Within minutes, the battle had already turned against the Earth Alliance.  The bridge of the _Rasputin_ was in flames as she suffered another series of hits from two of the hostile cruisers.  General Deming pulled himself to his feet, using a railing for support and surveyed the bridge.  They were all dead, the crew he had served with for over three years were all dead.  He forced back the emotions that built inside of him, he could not allow himself the luxury of emotions, he was a soldier and there was a battle.  Fighting through the piles of flaming debris, he made his way to the tactical station.  He ignored the display that showed that over half of his fleet had already been lost and focused his energies on the _Rasputin_.  He brought the main lasers and missile launchers online, attempting to target one of the cruisers attacking the ship but with no success.

"Engineering!"  He shouted into the inner-ship communications.  "I need those targeting scanners!"  He waited for what seemed like hours, receiving no response, before a checked a damage control map of the ship.  The engineering section had taken a direct hit from two of the torpedo weapons the enemy ships were using.  Carefully working the tactical controls, he switched targeting to manual and launched a barrage of lasers and missiles at the closest cruiser.  They did minor damage to the ship but not enough and it slowly advanced on the damaged _Rasputin_, firing with its beam weapons.  General Deming was thrown forward as the bridge exploded around him.  Bringing himself to his knees, he watched as the battle outside faded as once proud Earth Alliance capital ships were turned into twisted hulks of broken metal.  He then focused away from the battle and onto the two torpedoes that had been launched at his ship.  His life flashed before his eyes as it ended in fire.

The battle lasted only thirty minutes as the vastly outnumbered Earth Alliance fleet fell.  Not one ship survived the ambush.  Life pods and ejection seats from fighters were targeted and destroyed before the attacking fleet withdrew from the system.  Over fifty-five thousand soldiers met their deaths on this day when a war began.

*******

            General Pack watched in stunned silence as the sensor feed from the Seventh Fleet went dead.  The last image he saw, dozens of ships encircling the last surviving Earth cruiser, was burned into his mind and would forever be.  In his years of service to Earth Force, now numbering over forty, he had seen a great many things but had never before witnessed such quick and efficient destruction.

            He collapsed into a chair, his head falling into his hands.  The General felt nothing, a feeling that in this context felt worse than sadness or grief could have.  Around him, the staff of the command center rose to their feet, looking to the General for guidance, having no idea which direction they now needed to take.  Pack, at this point, had no answers aside from what his training told him had to be done.  Even while trying to develop a course of action in his mind, the only thing he could think of was the letters that would have to be written to over fifty-five thousand families.

            "General, what do we do now?"  A young Commander who carried a fading sparkle of innocence in her blue eyes finally spoke up from the group of people crowding around the general.

            Regaining his composure, the General gave a simple answer.  "Get me the President."  Knowing additionally what his orders entailed, the Earth Force officers began the process of notifying everyone on the priority list.

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TEMPLE OF C'LEM'ES, C'LES HOME WORLD  
 JANUARY 6, 2272, 03:41 EST 

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            A light rain was now falling on the C'Les capital city.  A mist of water blanketed the sky, reflecting the inner lights of the massive buildings that dominated the landscape of the city.  The sun, its glow red as fire, had begun its climb over the mountains on the far side of the city.  On the highest balcony of the great stone temple, a solitary figure stood, the rain covering his gray cloak.  He had sent his student to confer with their military leaders, to find out if what he feared had indeed taken place.

            The vision had come to him mere hours before, during a deep meditation.  It was a vision of fire, a vision of death and a vision of the future, a future that would be marked in pain and inked in blood.  Though he knew the time of the great wars that C'Lem'Es predicted was at hand, he had thought there would be more time.  Though he realized that there was nothing they could have done to stop it, he had thought there would have been some time to try.

            He looked into the sky where the stars were still visible.  In his years, he had only journeyed into the stars twice, once to visit a nearby colony and the other time as part of the delegation that negotiated their peace, mutual defense and trade treaties with the Interstellar Alliance.  His participation in those proceedings had been very limited; he had only attended at the request of their leaders to have a high-ranking member of the religious order present for them to consult with if necessary.  Now, he realized that he should have been watching the stars with greater vigilance rather than gazing at them for simple enjoyment, for their destiny was now in the stars.

            Turning towards the doorway, his student was walking onto the balcony, pulling his cloak over his head to shield it from the falling rain.  His face, as gray as his cloak and his large glowing blue eyes conveyed all too well the answer he had received before he had the opportunity to speak.  "It has been confirmed," the student grimly reported.  "Our probes reached the area only minutes ago, the Earth fleet has been destroyed and the Keilmar have withdrawn their forces from the system."  He paused.  "There is no sign of them."

            "Then it is as I feared," he turned away and looked to the stars, a pain building inside of him.  It had all happened much faster than he had feared it would and it would now only grow worse.  Looking back to the stars he realized his job now was to do whatever he could to help his people survive what prophecy called "the great fire" that was to come; there was now much work to be done and little time in which to do it.  Turning and striding back inside the temple, he spoke, just loud enough for his student to here.  "It has begun."


	2. Chapter One

**************** CHAPTER ONE ******************

INTERSTELLAR ALLIANCE SPACE STATION BABYLON 5 ADMIRAL BARNES' QUARTERS; BLUE SECTOR  
 JANUARY 6, 2272, 04:35 EST 

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Jerry Barnes, throughout the years of his military career, had many jobs, all of which normally required an early start in the morning from him.  Yet, even after spending dozens of years waking up early, rather by intention or by being forced to deal with whatever crisis was at hand, he still enjoyed the opportunities he had to sleep late.  It was something he had planned on doing this morning, having very little on his agenda aside from a handful of meetings with various Alliance military leaders and diplomats who had begun arriving on the station for the ceremony in two days, his ceremony.

He stopped short of thinking about how much he truly disliked ceremonies, especially where he was the main subject and instead focused on the near constant chiming of his door-signal.  With a moan, Barnes rolled out of bed and onto his feet.  Staggering about his quarters he placed his blue robe, which had been earlier discarded onto the floor, on over his gray EAS _Dark Thunder_ t-shirt and pair of boxer shorts.  He made his way to the door where he tapped a panel near it, bringing the lights in the room up to a dim level.  Then, making note of the time on a nearby clock, pressed the button to unlock and open the door.

With a notable sound, the door slid open revealing a seemingly fully awake and alert Julia Rourke, newly appointed Assistant Director of Alliance Intelligence, on the other side.  "Julia," Jerry said, beating her to the punch as she was beginning to speak.  "It's four thirty in the morning you have got to get a life," Barnes commented groggily as he rubbed the front of his head, trying to dispel a morning headache that had just come upon him.  Though he made a joke about it in good spirits, an early morning visit from the highest rank member of ISA Intelligence onboard the station was hardly ever a joking matter.  Barnes then stood aside from the door and gestured for her to enter, which she did promptly.

"Admiral, we have a rather large potential situation on our hands."  The door closing behind her, Barnes took a seat on a nearby couch, as did Rourke, following his lead as she continued with her briefing.  "Information coming in is still pretty sketchy at this point but what we do know for sure is that a little more than an hour ago, Earth Force lost contact with their Seventh Fleet on the other side of what used to be Vorlon territory," she consulted the notes she had hastily made on a data pad earlier before continuing.  "Sector 2837 to be exact."

"The Unknown Region," Barnes commented, pointing out the commonly used name for those areas of space that had yet to be explored by any of the space-faring races.  Although they bordered many of the Alliance worlds, they were largely surrounded by Vorlon territory and had never been of particular interest to any of the younger races, those opting instead to explore those worlds formerly belonging to the Vorlons in search of advanced technology, all with less than successful results.  In the years of searching for a cure to the Drahk plague unleashed on Earth, the Unknown Regions had lost any interest for explorers, scientists or colonists.  "That's near the Earth Alliance border of the Unknown Regions but still quite a ways outside of their normal operating regions, what exactly was the Seventh Fleet doing in that sector?"

It was a question she was more than prepared for, as it was the first she upon hearing the news.  "The EAS _Columbus_ an Explorer class ship was scouting the sector as part of Earth's new exploration initiative.  They lost contact with her first.  The closest response force was the Seventh Fleet, which was on exercise maneuvers in the outer territories of the Earth Alliance.  They sent in a small search and rescue group to the system, led by a destroyer; several unidentified ships attacked it prompting them to send in the rest of the fleet.  They drove off the attackers but were ambushed by a numerically superior force.  Earth Force HQ lost all contact with the fleet approximately thirty minutes after they reported having engaged the hostile forces."  Though Rourke maintained a straightforward, professional demeanor, the concern she felt for the situation was more than evident to Barnes, who had known her for over eight years.  "Earth chose to notify the Interstellar Alliance and look to us for some guidance on how they should proceed next.  Director Halloran is briefing the President on Minbar as we speak and she asked that I brief you as well as the rest of the military command staff."

Barnes nodded.  It had been two months ago this date when President Sheridan had officially offered him the position as commander of a unified Interstellar Alliance military force, which he had proposed to take the somewhat historic name, 'Army of Light', and over three years since he had first proposed the idea to the President.  Now, even before he was officially sworn into the office, it seemed as though his radical idea would be given its first real test.  "Let's get a jump on this before the President calls then.  Send a message to all White Star Fleet commanders and place them on Alert Status Bravo.  Then I want to completely seal off that sector of space; post White Stars, cruisers and destroyers along all the hyperspace routes necessary to allow for an effective blockade of the sector."

Rourke, having anticipated Barnes' orders, had already checked the current positioning and deployment of their forces.  "Yes sir, unfortunately most of our ships are forces are currently on peace time patrols along the borders of the Alliance member races.  That in mind it's going to take some time to move them into those positions without leaving our key installations and planets inadequately protected."

It was a sad fact that Julia was correct.  Having to resolve the most recent Drahk and Shadow-tech crises had left the Army of Light forces spread pretty thin with their normal duties.  There were of course new ship building initiatives currently underway but the process of building new White Stars was a slow one, slower still for the An'Shaka' class cruisers and Victory class destroyers, none of the engineers working on the projects completely understood the Vorlon technology they were having to work with and hence their job was made quite tedious.  "Pull whatever forces we have to from other assignments, just don't compromise the defenses at Minbar, here at the station or at our shipyards.  Also, I'll speak with the Minbari Warrior Caste and see if they can't be convinced to lend some ships.  Earth won't be in much of a position to assist with the Seventh gone so we'll have to find resources from elsewhere to help defend their borders in that area."

Barnes rose to his feet with slightly increased vigor, the brief conversation with Julia having heightened his state of alertness.  "Get to work on that, give me forty-five minutes then you and Vice Admiral Taylor meet me in my office.  Also, get me General Pack at Earth Force HQ on the gold channel in my office in thirty minutes, I'll need to speak with him before we proceed any sooner."

Julia stood and was walking out of Barnes' quarters to carry out his instructions when a though occurred to her.  "And just how long do you think it will be before the President calls?"  Though she asked the question with a mischievous smile, it was far from a joke.

"Hopefully long enough for me to be in and out of the shower."  Barnes answered with a slight grin as he disappeared into the bathroom to prepare for what now seemed was going to be a very long day.

Jerry Barnes was the type of person who fully enjoyed a long, hot shower before a full day of work.  It helped him relax and clear his mind before having to deal with whatever the galaxy threw at him on any given day.  It seemed that today however, he would not have the luxury of a long shower.  His brief conversation with Julia echoed in his mind as the hot water hit his skin.  The possible ramifications of the situation with which they were now faced could be devastating.  He could already tell what his conversation with General Pack would entail, Earth will be screaming for a full force response against whoever may have destroyed their ships while President Sheridan would be wanting to conduct an investigation and proceed cautiously in handling whatever this new threat was.

Stepping out of the shower, Barnes quickly toweled off and began to dress in his newly tailored black-and-silver uniform of the Army of Light, a design that dated back to when then Captain Sheridan broke Babylon Five away from the Earth Alliance.  In the years since, the non-Earth Force members of the Babylon Five command staff had kept it alive and Barnes had successfully managed to have it adopted as the design for the new military wing of the Interstellar Alliance almost three years ago when he began advising President Sheridan on its formation.

As he finished dressing and tied on his perfectly polished black boots, Barnes took a moment to himself.  He felt a nightmare coming on and the headache that had begun earlier growing worse.  The truth of it was, that the Interstellar Alliance was in no condition to fight an all-out war.  Aside from the problems the ISA itself was having, the member worlds were also struggling to recover from recent conflicts that had plagued their governments.  Though the combined might of the militaries of all the Alliance governments would be a force to be reckoned with, it had take him, Sheridan and a handful of others years to get the member worlds organized enough to simply agree and implement the unified military command.  He had hoped to have more time to organize his command and the Army of light structure, a great deal more time, before having to mobilize the Alliance for a war.

Barnes made one final stop while walking out of his quarters to pickup his link off of one of his bedside tables.  He hadn't yet put it on his hand when it chimed and he toggled it on.  "Barnes, go."

"Admiral, President Sheridan is on priority frequency for you sir."

Barnes, surprised it had taken the President this long to contact him, immediately answered to patch it through to his office, that he would be there in two minutes.  He then toggled his link off, slapped it on his hand, left his quarters and proceeded down the corridor towards the nearest lift.  It was indeed going to be a long day.

********************

ANLA'SHOK COUNCIL CHAMBERS; TUZANOR, MINBAR  
 JANUARY 6, 2272, 05:00 EST 

********************

            The rate of her pacing through the corridor outside the Anla'Shok council chamber had increased from that of nervous to that of frantic.  She had been waiting for an answer now for over two months and she did not expect to be waiting for three more hours once she received the call informing her that the decision had been made.

            Finally conceding and sitting down on a nearby stone bench, head resting in her hands, she wondered how she had gotten herself into this mess.  The memories were still clear in her mind as she relived them every night since in her dreams.  Her White Star, her first command, was on a routine patrol of Drazi territory when they detected a Drahk attack ship and moved to intercept.  When they jumped out of hyperspace to engage, it seemed as though the Drahk had other plans; several of their attack ships and a larger support vessel were attacking a Drazi civilian transport.  Her command engaged, destroying the squadron of attack ships and badly damaging the larger vessel but losing their weapons in the process.  When the Drahk ship fled, she pursued it despite the damaged state of her ship, leaving the Drazi defenseless.  They had even managed to destroy the Drahk ship by using the White Stars gravitic engines, superior maneuverability and a hair of good luck to collapse the jump point they had used to try and reenter normal space.  They had then returned to the Drazi ship and she discovered the mistake she had made.  Another raiding party that had been lying in wait as her ship gave chase to the others had destroyed the transport.

            It did not end there however.  They were able to lock onto the energy readings left behind by the attackers and pursued them.  With their weapons back online, though barely functional, they attacked and destroyed the refueling base where the Drahk squadron had fallen back to but taking heavy damage in the process.  The White Star was barely functional, over half of the crew dead and most of the systems offline, it took them over three weeks to return to the nearest Alliance outpost.

            When they reached the outpost, they were hailed as heroes for their bravery in the face of overwhelming odds and the sense of dedication they displayed in tracking down the Drahk murders and returning home.  Some members of the Anla'Shok Council however had a different opinion on the matter.  They judged her actions to be reckless, stating that her first priority should have been to defend the civilians rather than trying to finish the Drahk.  They furthermore condemned her for putting her crew into unnecessary danger in pursuing the second attack squadron and ordered an official investigation and inquiry into her suitability to further serve as a commanding officer.  Since then she had been delegated to administrative duties here at Tuzanor while the council deliberated on her fate.

            Now, as she sat impatiently waiting for the door to the chambers to open and the answer to be given, she could almost feel her life as a Ranger slipping away.  Though she knew there were some on the council who supported her, she feared that their voices might not be heard among the rest that did not.  For the past several years she had known no other life, having sacrificed almost everything she had previously known when she joined the Anla'Shok and now she could not picture her life any differently.  Whatever the outcome of their deliberations was, she knew this day would change her life and it would be a day she would not soon forget.

            She knew of course that there were other options available.  There were always merchant ships and privateer groups but the option that held her interest greater than any, if indeed her life as a Ranger was to come to an end, was the military wing of the Alliance being put together by Jerry Barnes.  Though it would be closely associated with the Rangers, it was indeed a separate entity from which the crews of the Victory class destroyers and other non-Ranger ships of the Alliance were being selected.  She had little doubt she could earn a position there though she greatly hoped such a move would not be necessary.

            Finding herself looking at the closed doors again, something that had become almost involuntary, she continued to wonder what could be taking them so long.  Was this supposed to be some test of her patience?  If that was the case it was a test she was failing, though she did find that possibility highly unlikely.  Still, she wondered what was taking so long as they told her two hours ago that they reached a decision.

            Wanting to find a way to take her mind off of the waiting, she turned to a nearby window overlooking the rest of the Ranger compound and the city of Tuzanor.  No matter how many times she had seen this ancient city, the city of sorrows, as it was know to the Minbari, it remained an awe-inspiring sight.  She had first seen if from the sky many years ago when arriving on Minbar to begin her training.  Now, she continued to wonder if this would be the last time she looked upon the city as a member of the Anla'Shok.

            After several more minutes of waiting, gazing over the Minbar landscape, she heard the door to the council chamber slight open.  Slowly, the council members filed out of the room, proceeding up the corridor in a direction away from her.  For a moment, she was stunned, were they not planning on telling her what the decision was?  When they had all gone through another door, leaving the area, she felt what hope she had left begin to fade.

            Shortly after the council members had left, another figure, a Minbari clad in simple brown robes, emerged from the chamber.  Being someone whom she had met several times during the years, she instantly recognized Nerol, a Minbari scribe assigned as an aide to council.  He walked towards her, his movement along the stone floor more of a glide than step and pulled his cloak off of his head.  He was middle-aged, by Minbari standards, the smallest of wrinkles beginning to accent his white skin, his eyes held three lifetimes worth of concerns and his face displayed the slightest smile.

            "Nerol," she addressed him, adding the slightest bow of her head in respect, someone who had devoted, as much of their life as he had to the service of the Anla'Shok deserved nothing less.

            "How are you Natalie?"  He asked, referring to her casually.  He had meant this young woman when she had first come to the Ranger compound.  Quite often, he recounted to her the story of how she looked so lost on her first day here and how he had helped her find her way.  Since then, he looked at her almost in the same way he looked at his three daughters.

            She thought for a moment, on the word that would most accurately describe how best to describe her mood in the most politically correct way.  "Anxious," she decided on with a conceding smile.  "But aside from the obvious, as good as to be expected I suppose.  Just wanting answers more than anything."

            Nerol nodded, feeling sympathy for her situation, having been kept waiting for such a long period of time, her future hangings in the balance.  "It is those answers I have been sent to give you."  He extended an arm, gesturing down an adjoining corridor, lined with windows that the sun shown brightly through.  The two began walking, side by side, as Nerol continued.  "It seems Natalie that you are in a great deal of trouble."

            Her heart froze and she stopped walking, a cold expression on her face.  It seemed to be as she had feared and she prepared herself to hear the news from Nerol's mouth.  Though it would not be the first time she would have to deal with disappointment, she did feel that it would be the hardest.  "They voted against me?"  Though she realized that their vote was not as black and white as being for or against her, that was the way she saw it.

            Nerol stopped as well and smiled gently, somewhat soothing her when she saw it.  "On the contrary my dear girl."  She gave a quizzical look, not understanding what was being said.  "Though they are still not pleased with the loss of civilian life, it is the determination of the council that there was no way the people onboard that ship could have been saved and that your actions, in pursuing the Drahk, though reckless and dangerous, were in the spirit of the Anla'Shok and have commended you and your crew for your bravery and determination in the face of overwhelming odds."

            To say Natalie Johnson was surprised would have been an understatement.  Though relieved, she still thought about the people who had died onboard that transport.  When they returned, she had gone through the crew and passenger manifest, memorizing their names and faces, vowing not to make such a failure again if she was ever given another opportunity to command a ship.  Relieved as she was that her career was not over, she still did not understand something.  "So, how do you get that I'm in trouble?  Am I not going to return to command of White Star 80?"

            "To define the trouble you are in," Nerol paused, searching for the proper words as he saw in Natalie's face that she wanted him to get to the point and patience was one of the virtues he had tried to teach this young lady.  "No, you will not be returning to command of White Star 80, instead," Nerol abruptly stopped.

            "Nerol," Natalie said, annoyed with the little games Nerol seemed to take pleasure in playing on her.  "Out with it."

            Seeing she was not amused, Nerol dropped the lesson in patience and continued to the point.  "Instead, they have promoted you."  She was now stunned to silence and she once again looked to him for more of an explanation.  He resumed his walk down the corridor, Johnson closely behind, still a great deal confused.  "Recent conflicts have left the Anla'Shok with a shortage of the type of commanding officer that we desire to have on our larger vessels.  All of our commanders are more than capable of carrying out their duties and successfully commanding their ships; but few are looked upon in the light that those such as the heroes of the Shadow War were."  He stopped and looked down into her eyes, seeing that she still did not totally understand.  "Stories of your actions against the Drahk squadrons are being whispered by both new recruits and experienced Rangers alike.  Not only are you capable and skilled but many of those who you would command look upon you with reverence and though such things are not encouraged among the Anla'Shok, we cannot deny that it happens." 

Resuming their walk yet again, he concluded.  "As such Natalie, a shuttle is waiting to escort you to your new ships where your crew is beginning final diagnostic and preparations for departure.  The council has ordered that you depart as soon as you are able for a patrol mission.  Though we are currently at peace, the council believes that vigilance on our part will be the best way to maintain it."

Natalie could not decide whether she was more stunned when she thought the council had voted against or now that it seemed they were promoting her near to the status of hero.  "Nerol, of all the questions I should be asking, I think I really only have one –" Nerol cut her off, knowing without a doubt in his mind what the question would be.

"The battle cruiser _Night's Eye_."

"A cruiser?"  Though they were being constructed with vigor, there were still only a handful of the An'Shaka' class battle cruisers in service.  She could hardly believe that she had earned the right to captain one of these fine vessels over others who were surely far more qualified and had been waiting a great deal longer for their opportunity.

"Well we couldn't very well give someone so young command of one of the new destroyers," the two of them laughed lightly at his joke but he quickly became serious again.  "You are ready Natalie.  You are one of the most gifted Rangers I have met and I have met a great many in my years of service.  You will do the Alliance proud."

Natalie said nothing else as they continued towards the landing pad where her shuttle waited, simply accepting the new path she had been given and preparing herself for the new challenges she would certainly face.

********************

ADMIRAL BARNES' OFFICE; BABYLON 5  
 JANUARY 6, 2272, 05:20 EST 

********************

            Finishing his conversation with General Pack, Jerry Barnes turned his chair back towards his desk and away from the communications monitor located on the wall behind it.  The General had reacted in precisely the manner Barnes predicted, or feared that he would.  In short, Pack, the whole of Earth Force HQ and President Luchenko were screaming for the blood of whoever it was that had destroyed the Seventh Fleet.  Barnes, still developing a plan of action in his mind, told them that the Alliance was assuming operational authority on this matter and that he would brief them once he had fully developed their plan of action.  Though Pack was less than pleased with that response, he had accepted it.

            Barnes had spoken with the General seconds after his conversation with Sheridan had ended.  His words with the President had been brief, making sure they each knew what the other knew and the President ordering Barnes to immediately but cautiously begin an investigation as to the loss of the other ships.  The President was understandably shaken at hearing of the deaths of so many people and worried at what he knew this meant for the Alliance.  The way in which Sheridan closed the conversation stuck with Barnes and he felt it would for sometime.  "Admiral, we're going to find who did this, then you and Vice Admiral Taylor are going to go get them."  Barnes had acknowledged what the President said with only a nod as the transmission ended.

            With five minutes before he was due to meet with Rourke and his adjutant, Vice Admiral Michael Taylor, Barnes picked through the stacks of black folders on his desk, searching for one he had discarded into an unorganized stack the night before.  Finding an opening it, he reviewed the data contained inside, the current strength of their forces, current deployments and progress updates from all of their shipyards.  He had spent a great deal of time over the past few days studying and familiarizing himself with that information but felt it important to review it again.  Setting the folder aside but leaving it open, he pulled and opened another, this containing a summary of the military strengths of the Alliance member worlds.

            Between their own forces and those of the member worlds, the Alliance could wield a most impressive force if fully deployed; there however, was where the problem lay.  With a lack of major conflicts in the past few months, most of the member worlds and the Alliance itself had taken the opportunity to lick their wounds, sending a great number of ships back to shipyards for repairs and refits, leaving only small portions of their fleets devoted to peace time border patrol and peacekeeping missions.  The estimates he had completed only a week before showed that, in the event a full mobilization was necessary, it would take a minimum of seven weeks to deploy their forces, seven weeks in which a handful of ships could be all that stood between them and a well-armed enemy fleet.  Though the size and capabilities of those who destroyed the Seventh Fleet were a mystery to him, Barnes was forced to believe that they would be more adequately prepared for a conflict than the Alliance currently was.

            Putting aside his folders and the thoughts of war, Barnes thought of the Seventh Fleet and those who went down with it.  He had met General Deming on Mars five years ago, shortly after the battle with the Drahk over Earth when the General was in command of the Fourth Tactical Response Wing, one of the main Earth units participating in the battle.  Even though they did not know each other well, Barnes would not hesitate to say that Deming was a good man who cared deeply about Earth, having sacrificed much in the service of his home.

            Barnes sighed, thinking of all those like Deming who had make the ultimate sacrifice in service of Earth.  There were times when he wondered why he had survived so much, the Minbari War, the Civil War, Wallace's insurrection, the Telepath War, the Drahk crisis and countless others, when so many people had lost their lives.  At times he thought he was part of a grand plan while other times he felt as though he were simply lucky.  Regardless of which option was correct, he did not debate the outcome.

            The door to his office slid open, taking him away from his thoughts and returning his focus to the tasks at hand as Julia Rourke and Vice Admiral Michael Taylor, second in command of the Army of Light, stepped into his office.  Barnes exchanged casual greetings with the two of them and asked Taylor, who had arrived on the station only two days before, if he had settled in and then gestured for the two of them to sit.  Though the command structure he and President Sheridan had designed for the ISA military was a great deal larger, consisting of advisors from most of the member worlds, Barnes considered these two, his long time comrades, to be his inner circle and most trusted colleagues for making command decisions.

            "Mike, I assume Julia has brought you up to speed on the current situation?"  Barnes asked, getting the meeting rolling.  Though they had met dozens of times, planning the formation of the Alliance military, this was one of their first official meetings where real decisions were being made.

            Taylor nodded, the overhead lights glistening off his shaved head.  "She's briefed me on everything we know about the destruction of the Seventh Fleet and the events leading up to it."

            "Which isn't much," Rourke added.

            "We need a plan of action."  Barnes continued.  "President Sheridan has ordered that we begin investigating the matter immediately and prepare a response scenario in the event he feels one is justified."  There was a momentary pause from the Admiral as he took a breath.  "I've also spoken with General Pack and Earth is demanding an immediate response as soon as we find out who is responsible for this."

            "And naturally so," Taylor commented.  "I think any of us in the same situation as Earth Force would be screaming for retribution as well.  We just have to be careful with how we proceed in making that response."

            Barnes agreed.  "Given the current state of our forces, what tactical options could we deploy quickly?"  Barnes of course had already formulated several options in his mind but wanted the input of his advisors as well.

            "As you ordered Admiral, elements of the White Star Fleet are already en-route to create a blockade around the sector where the Seventh Fleet was lost," Taylor chimed in.  "Our quickest response scenario would be to use those forces in whatever retaliatory strike we chose to launch against those who destroyed the Earth ships."  Taylor's voice carried a no nonsense tone in it.  Though he felt the same as Barnes did regarding the quick and sudden loss of so many lives, he refused to allow his emotions to get in the way of carrying out his job.

            "We need more information before we begin to consider any sort of action."  Barnes looked to Rourke.  "What kind of information do we have on that sector of space?"

            "Little to nothing," Julia answered.  "The fact of it is, that sector and those around it on the other side of Vorlon territory have simply been overlooked the past several years.  Most explorations have concentrated on the parts of Vorlon territory we have access to and moving outward toward the rim.  Earth was the first to send a ship towards any of those sectors in the past six years."

            "Six years?"  Taylor inquired.

            The Assistant Director of Intelligence checked through the notes she had earlier compiled on those areas of space.  "In late 2265, the Drazi sent a small expedition into an area of space a few light years from where the Seventh was lost.  They lost contact with them but the ship was seventeen years old and it was presumed to have been due to systems failure.  Afterwards, none of the other governments felt the cost of sending an expedition to explore those sectors would be worth it."

            "Until Earth began this new exploration project."  Barnes commented.  Pieces to the puzzle of why they had never encountered anyone from that area of space were beginning to come together.  After all, if those who destroyed the Seventh did not wish to make contact with anyone, it would have been easy enough for them to hide, where no one would think to be looking for them.  Barnes did not understand though why they would respond so aggressively to an encroachment into their territory without first trying to determine whether or not it had intentionally been a hostile act.  "But why attack the _Columbus_?"  The Admiral questioned.  "These people destroyed an Earth fleet in a matter of minutes, that means they must have significant technology, they must have been able to tell that an Explorer class ship would be no threat to them."

            "What if they didn't care that it wasn't a threat to them?"  Taylor's question and the theory implied with it was a haunting one for his two comrades that heard it and for him as well.  "What if all they cared about was the fact that a ship was trespassing in their territory and they didn't stand for it?  Then, after that ship is destroyed, another arrives and then an entire fleet.  They may have simply seen it as defending their territory."

            "I suppose there's something to be said for their method of defense then," Rourke added.  Barnes and Taylor both looked towards her for an explanation, knowing she meant something aside from the obvious.  "Think about it, in destroying that fleet they've caused us to completely seal off that sector, preventing even Earth from sending more ships in there.  They might see the destruction of the Seventh Fleet as nothing more than a warning to those who would trespass in their territory."

            "Then we must respond to show them we will not be intimidated."  Barnes spoke with a fire in his voice.  He could find no fault in the logic of Rourke's assumption and the fact that someone would kill thousands simply as a warning against trespass angered him.  He quickly reached to his desk and snatched the folder from earlier, containing the strengths and deployments of the Army of Light forces.  "I want to immediately dispatch the Third, Eighth and Fourteenth destroyer groups to reinforce our positions near that sector."

            "Admiral, moving the _Victory_ and her wing off the Narn/Centauri border will significantly decrease our presence in that area."  Taylor had taken the time during his trip from Earth to study in detail the positioning of their forces along with the political and diplomatic situations between the various powers, wanting to be as prepared for his job as possible when he arrived on Babylon 5.  "The situation along that border has been pretty tense as of late.  Two weeks ago, a Centauri cruiser took pot shots at a Narn transport ship that crossed into their territory as the result of a navigational error.  Eight days ago, two Narn patrol cutters destroyed a Centauri attack ship that got too close to one of their listening posts."

            "Director Halloran tells me that the ambassadors to the Centauri Republic are doing a good enough job of keeping the situation from breaking out into a full-scale match," Julia picked up where Taylor had left off.  "But there's no telling how long they'll be able to do so.  It might be now that the only thing keeping the peace is the presence of our ships along the border.  The Narns know we won't tolerate any sort of an attack against the Centauri and the Centauri don't want to get into a war with us by attacking the Narns."

            Barnes conceded that the situation was one of tension but he did not feel it was as critical as the other situation they faced.  "We'll still have three squadrons of White Stars and two cruisers along the border, that's more than enough firepower and, we all know that if either the Narns or the Centauri want badly enough to attack the other, the presence of our ships won't discourage them, no matter how great their numbers."  Taylor and Rourke both agreed that the Admiral was correct on this point; the Narns and Centauri seemed to have one-track minds when it came to fighting each other.  "Once they arrive," Barnes continued laying out his plan of action.  "I want them to begin launching long-range probed into where the Seventh was lost and the neighboring sectors.  I want to see if we can locate any inhabited planets, bases, ships, anything; try to gather as much information as possible.  Then we start formulating a plan for a counterattack."  Barnes anger subsided as he focused on his task at hand.  "In the meantime, we have to consider our defense if whatever forces we are now confronted by chose to launch another attack."

            "Babylon 5 should be our top priority the next several days," Taylor suggested.  "With the ceremony where you will be sworn in scheduled to take place, this station will be swarming with military leaders, diplomats and the President and First Lady.  It's a prime target."  Barnes, hating to be reminded of the ceremony yet again, admitted that Taylor was right.

            Barnes stood, nervously taking a few steps to the left of his desk, almost biting his nails.  Though Babylon 5 had proven several times that it could hold up in a fight, Barnes still did not like the idea of it being attacked.  The concept of defending a stationary target against a well armed, highly mobile attack force was one that his tactics lessons at the academy always taught him to avoid.  "I'll be speaking with military leaders from many of the member worlds today, I'll convince them to lend additional ships to the defense of Babylon 5 for the next few weeks.  We also need to get all of the ships escorting those leaders here under well-armed escort, using whatever forces we have available to us to do so."

            "Jerry, there's always the Master Contingency Response Plan," Julia suggested.  "If the President were to invoke it, that would allow us to easily deploy the defenses we need and keep them deployed for as long as needed."

            She referred the plan they had designed in the event that the Alliance found itself in another full-scale war.  The plan, which had been recently approved by the Advisory Council, stated in simple terms that, under orders from the President, all military forces of the member worlds would be placed under command of Admiral Barnes and his staff.  While their own command structures would still exist, they would report and be answerable to the Army of Light command.  The purpose of this, to prevent another disaster such as the one that ended the Centauri War in 2262 and remove the difficulty of making the member worlds work together in combat situations.

            "I don't think it's come to that," Barnes offered his opinion, sitting back down.  "Not yet at least."  They had designed the plan in hopes that it would never have to be used and in the event it did, only in cases where the whole of the Alliance was in imminent danger or in a state of war, though they were faced with a potentially deadly enemy, Barnes did not believe those criteria had been met.  "Let's not rule out the option though, it may well come to that once we learn more about the attackers."

            "Ms. Rourke, contact the heads of intelligence for the member worlds, see if they have any other information on those parts of space that may not exist in the official records you've accessed."  Taylor suggested, in line with Barnes' plan to gather information before making any other decisions.

            "I've already put the request in to several of the major governments and will be contacting the rest throughout the day, I doubt they'll have much to give us but anything should help."

            "Indeed it will," said Barnes.  "Now let's discuss –"

            Barnes' link beeped, interrupting the meeting as he toggled it on.  "Barnes, go."

            "Admiral, this is Captain Lochley, I've got the C'Les Ambassador in my office; he's saying he needs to speak with you immediately, it's about the Seventh Fleet."

            Barnes shared a glance of curiosity with both Taylor and Rourke before he replied.  "I'll be there shortly."  Whatever the C'Les knew, Barnes was anxious to learn it as well.  Since he had helped make first contact with the C'Les nine years ago, he had always been impressed with the level of knowledge they seemed to have about any given situation.  "Get to work, we'll meet again later today," he said as Taylor and Rourke followed his departure from the office.

***

            "Admiral."

            "Captain."

            Lochley and Barnes both gave a quick acknowledgement to each other as the Admiral came through the open door to her office.  In front of the Captain's desk, C'Les Ambassador, standing seven and half feet tall and draped in gray robes that bore red, orange and blue ceremonial marking.  The C'Les, though almost on par with the Minbari in terms of technology, seemed to prefer to keep their lives simple with even the diplomats and leaders of their society covering themselves in robes similar to those used by the rest of their people, with the exception of some modest decoration.  Not even their military had any sort of distinguishing clothing.  The hood of his robe covered his face, a normal custom with them when among others not of their race.

            "Mr. Ambassador," Barnes said respectfully.  "A pleasure to see you again."  Barnes was sure there was some sort of diplomatic formality he was forgetting at this point but wanted to skip to the point as quickly as possible.

            "Indeed Admiral, it has been far too long since last our paths crossed," the Ambassador returned the respect Barnes had shown him and dipped his head slightly to the Admiral.

            Barnes then remembered the last time he had seen this particular C'Les, the one with whom he had helped to negotiate the first treaty between them and the Alliance.  It has been four years ago, shortly after Barnes had resigned from Earth Force and had arrived on Minbar to begin serving as a military advisor to President Sheridan.  When the White Star transporting him landed, the Ambassador waited on the landing platform.  When Barnes asked what he was doing there, stating that only Sheridan and a few others knew he was coming, the Ambassador stated, "Be wary of where your path leads you and do not always take the obvious route."  He left then and Barnes had not seen him since.  Now, those words echoed in his memory.

            "Mr. Ambassador," Captain Lochley broke the uneasy silence that had settled over the room following the greetings exchanged by the two.  "Please tell Admiral Barnes what you were telling me a few minutes ago."

            "The loss of the Earth Seventh Fleet," the raspy voice of the C'Les began.  "Is but the first link in a long chain of events.  A great darkness is waking Admiral, a darkness you must prepare for, one we must all prepare for.  A darkness that if left unchecked, will burn the galaxy."

            Barnes responded, confused by the words of the less than clear Ambassador.  "You're saying that if we don't stop whoever destroyed the Seventh Fleet, they'll destroy the galaxy?"  Barnes, direct in his question, was hoping for a similar answer from the Ambassador.

            The Ambassador lowered his head, his glowing blue eyes closing momentarily before he again looked upon Barnes.  "Fix not your gaze where it is required least Admiral."  With Barnes not knowing how to respond, the Ambassador said nothing else and left the room, his step a fluid glide.

            Barnes shot a quizzical look to Lochley who simply shrugged in response.  "He told me the same thing.  At first I wasn't even going to call you but he insisted that you hear what he had to say."

            Barnes sighed.  "I wish he wouldn't be so damned mysterious, just come out and say what he knows."

            "He may not know anything else."  Lochley rebutted.

            "What do you mean?"  Barnes asked.

            The Captain of Babylon 5 returned to her chair, arms resting on her desk.  "He told me that it comes from one of their ancient prophecies, saying that a great darkness will awake and burn the universe if an alliance of planets does not stand against it."

            Now it was beginning to make sense.  "The Prophecies of C'Lem'Es," Barnes commented, knowing something about them from his dealings with the C'Les.  "They're not just ancient prophecies Elizabeth, they're the foundation that everything in the C'Les society is based on.  Their religion, government, everything is based off the teachings of someone who predates all of their other recorded history.  His prophecies, have accurately predicted everything that has happened throughout the history of the C'Les, including the situations of their first contact with the Alliance and everything that has happened since, depending upon the interpretation of course."

            Lochley leaned back, relaxing as much as she could under the circumstances.  "Why do I get the feeling that this is going to be a long day?"  She commented.  A priority transmission from Earth Force had gotten her out of bed near the same time when Rourke had done so with Barnes.

            "Tell me about it," Barnes agreed, tiredly taking a chair on the other side of her desk.  For a brief moment, each of them looked into the eyes of their longtime friend, no words being said.  Though they had been acquaintances for many years, Barnes and Lochley had gotten to know each other well after the missions of the EAS _Dark Thunder_ seemed to find their way to Babylon 5 more often and had become even closer when Barnes began to build the Army of Light command on the station.

            "Well," the Admiral said with a deep breath as he rubbed the pain that continued in his temple.  "I have a good deal of work to do, I'm sure you do also."

            "Yeah," Lochley raised her eyebrows and surveyed the stacks of paperwork that had accumulated on her desk.  "I doubt waste management and power consumption reports are as important as the work you'll be doing but I suppose somebody has to do it or it might never get done."

            "Heard and understood Captain."

***

            He ran, looking behind him with every step as he charged through the abandoned section of what was affectionately termed 'Down Below'.  He knew it was close behind him and that he had to escape if he was to survive.  He ran faster and faster, sweat poring from every part of his body, hoping desperately to escape his wrath.  In his business, he was quite used to clients being disappointed when he failed to deliver on a promise but this was one client he regretted he had allowed himself to disappoint.  He feared it would be his last regret.

            Rounding the corner, it felt as though a great blast of steel impacted against his face.  He was flung backwards by the force and, as the bitter taste of blood appeared in his mouth, he knew the chase was over and he had lost.  

            "You have failed!"  The demonic voice boomed in his mind.  He covered his ears, hoping to block the sound but to no avail.

            "I tried!"  He screamed in response, spitting the blood from his mouth in doing so.  "I tried to do what you asked!"  He struggled to his feet and quickly ran in the opposite direction, only to be struck again and thrown back to the ground.  "I tried!"  He insisted as he was struck again; thrown violently against a wall, blood splattering on the ground.  He trembled with fear, desperately wanting to try and run again but unable to fill his legs.

            "You are aware of the penalties of failure!"  The voice in his mind again boomed.  There was no time for him to reply.  He grasped his head, feeling as though there were a great burning inside of it and cried for mercy.  The agony was unbearable, beyond anything he had experienced in his life; lasting for the entire fifteen minutes it took him to die.

            Afterwards, his killer subsided into the darkness.  Though this plan had failed, there would be other opportunities.  Not that this plan had to succeed, the one person was insignificant and could not hope to stop them, only delay them.  There was still time however.  Though their time was drawing increasingly near, there was still much preparation to be done and this preparation was to be done elsewhere.

***

            Commander David Corwin energetically reported for his morning shift in Command & Control a full five minutes early.  Though his fellow officers often asked him why he didn't explore other assignments now available in the Army of Light, he could think of no better assignment than being the first office of this station.  Amidst various greetings from the rest of the C&C staff, Corwin logged onto his console and began his morning routine of checking through the scheduled list of arrivals and departures for the day.  As he anticipated, the former far outweighed the latter today and for the next several days, with dozens of diplomatic and military personnel arriving for the ceremony where Admiral Barnes would be sworn in.

            Taking his first look at the stars today, Corwin thought he saw something.  He pressed several controls on his console, changing the display screen from the docking schedule to that of the master sensor display and ran a full scan with every sensor in the station's array on the area of space in front of him.  Whatever it was had disappeared from site and the sensors were not reading anything.

            Taking notice of the first officer's unusual behavior, Lieutenant Jeffries, a newly assigned officer to C&C stepped next to him.  "Something wrong Commander?"  The Lieutenant asked casually.

            Corwin grimaced, considering for a moment the possibility that he was seeing things.  It was early in the morning and he hadn't yet indulged in a cup of coffee.  "Have we had any ships leave this morning?"  Corwin asked.  He did not want to let on that he may be seeing things but also could not simply put aside what he believed he saw.

            "No sir, not yet."

            _Damn_.  Corwin thought.  Maybe he was just seeing things or maybe the sensors were wrong.  He made a mental note to order a routine diagnostic on them later on the in the day but for now, felt it best to return to his duties, with all the V.I.P. arrivals, this would inevitably be a busy day.  "Very good Lieutenant, thank you."  Jeffries returned to his duties, curious about the XO's somewhat unusual activities but knowing better than to make an issue of it.

            Before he returned to looking at today's schedule, Corwin looked one more time to the stars.  He saw a late amongst them fade and focused on it, trying to convince himself that it had simply been a star whose last light had faded but something inside him knew better.  There had been something out there.  Whatever it was, another mystery to add to the collection from his years onboard Babylon 5.

            "Commander," Jeffries who had come up behind him pulled Corwin away from his work.  He turned to see the young man had a startled look on his face, one that bordered on sheer panic.  "You'd better come take a look at this."

            Turning around fully to face the aft part of C&C, Corwin saw the rest of the staff gathered around a monitor on the wall.  Wanting to see what was urgent enough to pull every officer away from their post, Corwin pushed his way into them, gaining a position from which he could see the screen.  As was usual in the mornings, the feed from ISN was being shown.  It was kept on for the first few hours of the morning shift more as tradition than anything else, few paid great attention to it.  Yet as he watched and listened to the familiar anchorwoman delivering the report, he understood why it had garnered such attention this morning.

            "This news is just coming in from our sources and we'll be bringing you every detail we receive as it develops, as well as trying to get some official statement from senior Earth Force officials as to the authenticity of the information.  To recap for those of you just joining us, sources inside Earth Force HQ are telling ISN that all contact has been lost with the Earth Force Seventh Fleet while it was conducting operations in the Unknown Regions and it is presumed that the fleet has been destroyed."

Corwin needed to here nothing else and stepped away from the screen.  He keyed his link; calling one of the few people on this station he would be able to get some straight information from.  Captain Lochley responded and advised she would meet with him in her office in five minutes.  Commander Corwin knew those minutes would take a considerable time to pass.


	3. Chapter Two

**************** CHAPTER TWO ******************

DREADNOUGHT NRS _R'TAL_; ORBIT OF NARN HOME WORLD  
 JANUARY 6, 2272, 08:57 EST 

********************

            Warleader Na'Goth strode purposefully through the dark corridors of the Bin'Tak class dreadnought _R'Tal_.  Work crews who had been assigned to the ship for the past several weeks were clearing the corridors now, with most of the refits to the aging, yet still formidable Narn warship were now complete and its new systems online, including gravitic engines and artificial gravity as well as a host of new weapon and tactical systems.  Now all that was needed as to test them and what a plan Na'Goth had for that test.

            To say it had been difficult to convince the Kha'Ri of his plan would be an understatement of epic proportions.  When he had first proposed the plan three months earlier, he had all but been laughed at.  In time however, through a delicate series of maneuvers and political dealing, they were soon ready to go along with him.  Now, all was almost prepared to launch what he believed would redefine the Narns as a power in the universe.

            The door to his cabin slid open and he sat upon his bed.  The cabin was spartan in its accommodation and decorations, which was precisely the way Na'Goth preferred it.  He did not feel luxuries were necessary, having endured years as a slave to the Centauri before his race rose against them and drove them from the home world.  He had never known luxury during his life and felt no need to indulge in such things now that they were free.  The light sources of the room were two red and orange lights, his bed was a simple steel bunk welded onto the wall.  The walls, floor and ceiling were unpainted and uncovered, their original metallic color.  There were compartments cut into the walls housing his clothing and few other personal items. The only other furniture in the room was a simple stone desk and three chairs, on which sat several star charts.  The cabin's only decorations consisted of his ceremonial blades that had been passed down from his father, which hung on the walls.

            Na'Goth settled in at his desk to make his final review of the plans sitting upon it.  His last meeting with the Kha'Ri was this morning, where they had approved the final version of his plans, the plans in which, as he had stated to them, everything Narn had lost would be returned to it.  It had long been a dream of his that the Narn Regime would return to the power and size it was before the war of 2259.  Now, that dream was about to become a reality.  To that end, he turned towards the Centauri.

            Information that had come to the Narns over the past year suggested that the Centauri fleet and indeed the whole Republic, would be vulnerable to a well timed and laid out strike.  To that end, he had assembled every Narn warship not devoted to defensive duties at their main shipyard over the home world to be refitted and repaired for the campaign of reclamation against the Centauri.  Having spent the past months planning every intricate detail of the attack, Na'Goth planned to move in two weeks.

            The maps on the stone slab in front of him clearly detailed the path they would take.  The campaign, he estimated, against the Centauri would take more than three months to accomplish all of its goals of regaining Narn territory lost to the Centauri throughout the various years of conflict.  They had begun the process during and immediately following the war of 2262 but foolishly abandoned it at the request of the Interstellar Alliance who wished that the war with the Centauri and that chapter of Alliance history come to an end.

            Now, the Alliance was all that stood in his way.  Several squadrons of Alliance warships sat along their border with the Centauri, waiting for either side to make a move against the other and prepared to intervene if necessary, at the heart of these squadrons, the IAS _Victory_ the destroyer that was the namesake of its class.  It was not the first of the Alliance destroyers to bear that name, the original having been destroyed over Earth in the battle against the Drahk.  Na'Goth had been there with the _R'Tal_, having jumped to Earth when the Alliance had called for any ship within range to aid in its defense.

            That was but one battle in the _R'Tal_'s long and distinguished history of service to the Regime.  It had been one of the first Narn warships commissioned in early 2259, a direct response to the Centauri attacks that occurred in late '58.  Going straight from the shipyard to action, it engaged several Centauri battle squadrons in reprisal for the destruction of the Narn outpost in Quadrant 37.  It then drove several groups of raiders from Narn territory, crippling several of their command ships and destroying a base hidden inside an asteroid belt.  As open war had broke out with the Centauri, the _R'Tal_ led the early Narn advances into Centauri space and the later defensive actions as the enemy forces pushed them back into Narn space.  One of Na'Goth's greatest regrets remained the fact that he was unable to bring his ship into battle with the Centauri over home world when they attacked, the dreadnought being disabled only days before in a battle against a Centauri cruiser group.  He always felt that, had he been there, he could have done something to prevent the destruction of their world.

            Fate it seemed had a certain plan for him however.  After the end of the war, he was able to repair the _R'Tal_ with the help of other Narn warships that survived and helped to rally those few surviving ships to plan to retake home world and ultimately in the war against the Shadows.  He fought in the Battle of Sector 83 and the Battle of Corianus 6, as well as several delaying actions against Shadow and Vorlon forces.  With the war over and the Narn Regime restored, he devoted the _R'Tal_ to the protection of home world and the colonies they regained until later that year when his government elected to support Sheridan's war against Earth.  The _R'Tal_ then joined ships from Earth and other races in destroying that planet's defensive grid, the power of which was about to be unleashed upon the helpless planet.

            What he believed to have been their finest hour came next.  When the Centauri broke away from the Alliance in 2263, the Narns found themselves again engaged in a war with their archenemies.  His ship joined the assault by the joint Narn and Drazi taskforce against Centauri Prime.  He could not help but feel justice was done as he watched the heavy lasers from his ship carve into the surface of the planet, only to be stopped by the arrival of Sheridan and his forces.

            In the years since then, he had continued to drive raiders, pirates and Drahk from Narn space and provide assistance to other Alliance worlds in their battles with the allies of the Shadows.  Yet, even though he aided them whenever possible, his efforts to rebuild the Regime were constantly hampered by the Interstellar Alliance with its rules and principles.  This time however, they would not have a chance to interfere.  He had designed their plan of attack to slip past the Alliance warships on the border and into Centauri territory with a low probability of detection.  If all went as planned, the _Victory_ and the rest of the Army of Light ships would not know about the attack until the first Centauri planet fell to their advance.

            Experience though, had taught him not to underestimate Captain Edward MacDonald, master of the _Victory_.  Though he had only encountered the Captain on two prior occasions, both when he served under Jerry Barnes onboard the EAS _Dark Thunder_, he had learned that he was a formidable opponent.  MacDonald though, was not merely a clever human; he was a warrior with the heart of such.  During their last engagement, four years prior, he had told MacDonald that, were he not human, he surely would have been born a Narn.  MacDonald did not seem to recognize the compliment he had been given.

            As he marked the last known location of the _Victory_ and its battle group on his chart, a pounding on his door resonated throughout the modestly sized room.  He rose from his chair, barking that he was coming, made his way to the door and opened it.  Standing on the other side, his newly assigned weaponry officer, stationed to Na'Goth's command fresh from his military training.  Though he had not yet memorized the young Narn's name, he had been most impressed with his skills as a gunner as well as his ability see a situation from a tactical standpoint.

            "Warleader," the Narn addressed him formally, his voice robust.  "Something is happening, something you should see."

***

            Na'Goth entered the tactical planning room to see several of his senior staff as well as his other fleet commanders standing near the map table which displayed a computer-generated map of the Narn/Centauri border, the areas surrounding it and real-time information on ship movements in those areas as it came in from their listening posts.  The young officer who had summoned him stepped aside as Na'Goth approached the table and looked to one of his senior starship commanders that was nearby.

            "Warleader," the Narn Captain's deep voice growled as he spoke.  "One of our listening posts on the border monitored this one hour ago," he reported with a gesture towards the computer display.  "They verified the information with two other listening posts and a scout ship to make sure it was correct before they relayed it."

            As the Warleader watched the images move, he soon understood why they had gone to such lengths to verify what he was seeing.  The images displayed were clear, the _Victory_ and its battle group had moved off the border and into hyperspace, probes tracking it on a course for Earth Alliance territory.  The departure of these forces left only three squadrons of the Alliance's White Star assault ships along with two strike cruisers on their border with the Centauri.

            "Do we know why the _Victory_ has pulled away from the border?"  The Warleader questioned.

            "No Warleader, only that the orders came on a highly secure frequency from the Army of Light command on Babylon 5 not long before the destroyer departed.  They are proceeding at maximum speed, whatever it may be is no doubt of the utmost urgency."

            The opportunity presented by this did not go unnoticed to Na'Goth as his lips curled in the closest thing to a smile he had managed in a great deal of time.  "G'Kan," he addressed his senior fleet commander who stood immediately to his left.  "How long before the fleet can be prepared to move out?"

            Though G'Kan had anticipated this particular response from the Warleader, he had hoped Na'Goth would not have acted so impulsively.  "Warleader, the fleet cannot be fully prepared to leave space dock for another two weeks at best.  Though it is unfortunate that they cannot be ready sooner, we must strike when all of our forces are prepared."

            Na'Goth would not hear it, he knew the opportunity fate had presented him with would not last forever and it was an opportunity he could not let pass.  The longer it would take the Alliance to respond to his attacks, the further into Centauri territory he would be.  "How many of our ships and ground forces will be ready to depart for battle within the next twelve hours?"

            G'Kan keyed a control that brought up displays detailing the exact ships and ground divisions that could be prepared within the timeframe allotted by the Warleader.  "Eighty percent of our ships and sixty-five percent of our ground forces can be fully prepared and armed for battle within the time but I most protest if you are planning to launch are attack prematurely."  Seeing the look that had crept into Na'Goth's eyes, he continued his protest with even greater fervor.  "Warleader!  All of our ships are necessary to ensure the success of your plan and our victory against the Centauri!  We must not attack prematurely!"

            "The decision had been made G'Kan and I would thank you to not challenge my authority again," Na'Goth hissed at the younger Captain.  He then turned to the officer who had summoned him here.  "Issue orders to all of our forces, any ship ready to depart within twelve hours leaves with us.  All others will stay behind to defend home world, our colonies and reinforce us once they are ready."  

            "At once Warleader!"  The Narn enthusiastically acknowledged the order as he rushed to carry it out.

            "Return to your ships," Na'Goth ordered, addressing his fleet commanders that had assembled.  He now felt the hand of destiny upon his shoulder, guiding him in a singular direction, a direction that would lead him through fire into the heart of the Centauri Republic.  "Prepare them for war."

********************

ALLIANCE COUNCIL CHAMBERS; BABYLON 5  
 JANUARY 6, 2272, 09:25 EST 

********************

            A mass of reporters from ISN and other planetary networks had quickly assembled in the Interstellar Alliance Council Chambers on Babylon 5.  The announcement had come only five minutes before that Jerry Barnes would shortly be making a statement on the loss of the Seventh Fleet, the first official statement to come out of the Alliance or Earth Dome.  This announcement prompted a frenzy of speculation ranging from what remarks Barnes might make to why Barnes was the one making the first statement on these events.  As one reporter had commented, "Though Jerry Barnes is soon to be sworn into his position as commander of the Army of Light, he hasn't been sworn in yet and hence, is not in a position to be addressing such a critical issue."

            Barnes hated reporters, for many reasons but particularly for the fact that they never seemed to totally understand the complexities of how most things worked.  It was no secret to most that while his command of the Army of Light was not yet official in ceremony; it had been in practice for some time.  Though he did not yet have authority over the forces of the member worlds, he had been making command decisions for the forces of the Interstellar Alliance for some time now.

            The process had been slow at first, beginning in early 2268 when Barnes arrived on Minbar, to begin serving as an advisor to President Sheridan.  Throughout the years, as Barnes worked with Sheridan, Corwin and other to develop the Army of Light into a larger organization, he had begun taking on some command responsibilities.  Small responsibilities at first, selecting crews for starships, space stations and planetary installations, advising the Rangers on patrol deployment of their forces and other such duties.  Over time, his role expanded to what it was now, making the majority of command decisions for the Alliance forces with input from the President, Advisory Board, the Anla'Shok Council and his own staff.

            From the corridor adjacent to the council chambers, Barnes peaked inside the room.  It was a fluster with activity as the mass of reporters continued to speak to the cameras as a way of filling time while waiting for Barnes' remarks.  For someone who was not in a position to be addressing such an issue, everyone seemed to have a great interest in what Barnes would be saying.  Taking a deep breath, Barnes stepped inside and walked to the podium in the middle of the room as the reporters came to a dead silence after announcing his arrival.

            The podium he stood at was positioned directly in front of a large banner bearing the seals of the Interstellar Alliance and the Army of Light.  Attached to the front of the logo was a placard of the Army of Light emblem emblazoned over that of the Interstellar Alliance.  Setting his notes under the light of the podium and clearing his throat, Barnes began his first of what was sure to be many public relations missions.

            "Good morning," he said, his voice not noticeably displaying discomfort with the situation.  He ignored the bright lights focused on him and the gentle yet annoying sound of the recorders as he continued readings from his notes.  "I'll have a few brief remarks and if there's time I'll try to answer one or two of your questions.  In response to the story that was reported on ISN earlier today, what you have heard is true."  There was a gasp of realization and a low barrage of whispers as the assembled press realized what Barnes had said.  "Approximately three-thirty this morning, Earth Standard Time, Earth Force HQ lost contact with the Seventh Fleet that was conducting search and rescue operations in a previously unexplored sector.  The fleet was deployed after contact was lost with a destroyer who was searching the system for an Explorer class ship that contact was also lost with.  Earth Force will be releasing the names of the ships as well as contacting the family members of their crews in the coming days."  Barnes paused, taking a sip of water from a glass underneath the podium.  Though he was keeping to the facts, he could not block the emotional response speaking of so much death provoked.  

"This morning, President Luchenko contacted President Sheridan and asked for the assistance of the Interstellar Alliance in conducting an investigation into the loss of the Seventh Fleet.  After consultation with President Sheridan this morning, I advised Earth Force General William Pack that the Interstellar Alliance, most specifically the Army of Light, would be assuming full operational authority on this matter."  Barnes knew in saying that he would open up the Alliance to another series of attacks from political commentators screaming that they were taking too heavy a hand with the member worlds but he cared more about the facts and less about being politically correct at this point.

"My staff and I, in cooperation with the Earth Alliance and other member worlds have begun an investigation into this matter as well as taking steps to ensure the safety of Earth Alliance territory and the rest of the Interstellar Alliance.  We will bring you any information we can release when we can release it.  I ask that everyone remain calm and patient as we search for those responsible for this horrific event.  My thoughts, condolences and prayers also go out to all those who have family or friends onboard the Seventh Fleet, we are still hoping to find your loved ones alive, well and bring them home to you."  Barnes surveyed the crowd of reporters, wishing Sheridan had not asked him to include this part, as all it could do would be to open a Pandora's Box.  "Now, I'll take some of your questions," Barnes said grudgingly as he tucked his notes away, knowing they would do him no good at this point.

A barrage of loud voices and raised hands erupted as Barnes opened the floor for questions.  Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, he finally zeroed in on and pointed to one reporter, gesturing for them to take the first question.  "Admiral Barnes," she began, addressing him using his formal title, one that was "officially" non-existent.  "Can you give us anymore details on what steps you are implementing to safeguard against any further attacks from these unknown aggressors?"

_An easy enough question_.  "I cannot go into any specifics," the Admiral replied.  "I will say that elements of the White Star Fleet and military units from several of the member worlds are being strategically deployed in a defensive posture.  I additionally want to make clear that there are currently no offensive strikes planned.  Before we begin considering any sort of a retaliatory strike, we first want to gather information on who attacked those forces and what their motivation may have been."

Before Barnes had the opportunity to move on, the reporter asked if she could be allowed a follow-up question, Barnes granted the request.  "Admiral, are these defensive deployments of the White Star Fleet related to the _Victory_ and her battle group being moved off the Narn/Centauri border earlier this morning?"

Times like these, Barnes felt as though he needed to track down whoever it was these reporters got their information from and recruit them into the service of the Alliance.  Moving the _Victory_ off the border had not been a secret by any means, though their exact orders were, but with so few people knowing the order had been given, he had anticipated it taking slightly longer for the press to make the connection between its movement and the new deployments in response to the Seventh Fleet.  Still, he did not want to give away the connection just yet.  "I'm afraid I can't comment on that at the moment, next question please."  Barnes said, as he gestured to another reporter, a stout human man.

"Mr. Barnes," this one was apparently one of those that subscribed to the theory of him not having any sort of an official position yet.  "Is there any truth to the rumor that the loss of the Seventh Fleet was due to a sneak attack by renegade arms of Earth Force and the Minbari Warrior Caste?"

At other times, Barnes wanted to find whoever gave these reporters their information and throw them out the nearest airlock for circulating bogus theories pulled out of thin air.  "No," the Admiral harshly refuted the claim.  "And I would thank you to not go spreading such unsubstantiated rumors that are likely to cause undo fear and panic, something we do not need at this stage."  Not allowing the man the opportunity for another question, he pointed to another reporter, an Asian woman, advising that she had the final question.

"Admiral, how do you respond to critics who say, given your record, that you are ill-suited to handle this situation?"

Barnes was caught off his guard and stood, silently contemplating how to reply to the implied attack.  "Hmph … let me say something, to them, to the rest of the Alliance and to those who destroyed our ships," the tone of his voice rose as he spoke from one of uncertainty to determination.  "We have been attacked, in a fierce and unprovoked manner.  Whoever attacked the Seventh Fleet has done nothing short of declare war against the Interstellar Alliance.  We will find out who did this," Barnes said with conviction.  "And we will make them pay.  I may not be the best politician or diplomat; I'm a solider.  It's my job to hunt down the enemy and kill them, which is precisely what I intend to do."  Barnes collected his notes and stormed out of the room, through a revived fury of questions coming at him from all sides.  Not wanting to allow them the opportunity to follow him, he quickly made his way to the nearest lift and departed for his office.  He still had a great deal of work to do.

***** 3 Hours Later *****

            Zack Allan was no stranger to crime scenes.  In his time onboard Babylon 5, he had investigated more crimes than he could easily keep track of.  Though he allowed his other security officers, most quite proficient in their jobs, to investigate most minor crimes that took place on the station, an unexplained death was something that garnered his personal attention.  Especially when the unexplained death involved someone station security had already been searching for.

Allan had been summoned to this section of "Down Below", a section normally thought to be abandoned, after an individual who said they had found a body approached one of his security officers.  The officer followed them to this location where he discovered the body, notified the Chief and called for backup while securing the scene.

When he arrived and saw that the person murdered was none other than Jack Arem, he had the feeling that this would be no simple, ordinary investigation.  Though Arem operated under the guise of a traveling merchant, he was wanted for questioning on several different worlds in reference to the assassination or attempted assassinations of government officials.  Zack had received word from the Brakiri a few weeks prior that Arem was rumored to be on his way to Babylon 5.  They had gone through all the normal precautions, advised officers working at customs and circulated his picture around the station, all of which produced no results.  After some time of hearing nothing on him, Zack had assumed that Arem must have give the Brakiri the slip, escaping to another world while they believed him to have been headed for Babylon 5.  Still, the Chief always preferred to err on the side of caution and had kept the station-wide alert for him active, believing he still might turn up at a least expected time or place.

This certainly qualified.  Upon his arrival, Allan immediately began examining the scene to determine if the cause of death would be easily discernable.  It was clear that Arem had taken a beating, his face and clothing was stained by dry blood, as were several of the nearby bulkheads.  Zack did not doubt the blood splattered on those would be a match with Arem's once samples of both were compared.  Bending at his knees to get a better view of the body, which had been found sitting against a wall, Zack could not accept that the beating he had received as the cause of death.  Though he was not a medical professional, he had conducted enough murder investigations to be able to tell something about what had killed somebody.  Though the beating had been severe, it seemed to have been intended more to cause him intense pain rather than kill him.

For several minutes, Zack looked around, walking from blood spot to blood spot and back to the body, trying to take himself through Arem's last steps before he died.  All he could determine was the Arem had been completely overpowered by his killer.  He surmised that Arem, on possibly more than one instance, tried to flee his attacker only to be struck down.  From this, Zack gathered that whoever the killer was Arem was afraid of him.  It was no surprise that someone in his business would make some enemies along the way, whether they be disgruntled clients or those tasked with bringing him to justice.  Still, he found it difficult to believe that a cold and professional killer would be struck with panic upon being confronted by an unhappy business associate.  There was something more to this.  Zack could only hope that more parts of this mystery would become evident when the medical team determined the cause of death.  His gut told him however, that would only lead to more questions he did not want to answer.

"What do you think Chief?"  Officer Dillard, the security officer who had originally discovered the body and had been standing by since, asked in a casual yet reserved tone of voice.

Allan sighed.  He was not sure what to think at the moment.  The small amount of evidence available did little to answer any of the questions he had.  Zack could come to only one definite conclusion.  "I think we should have found this guy first.  He's wanted by over six major planetary governments and as soon as they hear about this, they're likely to be screaming at the Captain, wanting an explanation on how he died meaning she's going to be screaming at us for that same explanation."  The Chief again surveyed the scene.  "Aside from that, I don't think this was some random act of violence, a case of him being in the wrong place at the wrong time; I think he knew his killer and whoever his killer was, he was terrified of him.  Aside from that," a long pause.  "I don't know.  There's no apparent cause of death, maybe the autopsy will give us some more results."

"I've already notified Medlab Chief, they should be here to collect the body anytime now."

"Good, keep this area sealed off until further notice, post two officers here on rotating shifts.  If there's any evidence here, I want it preserved.  Let me know when they've collected the body and the autopsy has begun.  In the meantime," Zack had to do something he very much did not want to.  "I'd better let the Captain know about this, even though this is about the last news she needs today."  Though this was not likely to hit the Captain in the same way as the news of the Seventh Fleet, of which Lochley had only recently briefed Zack and Commander Corwin on, it never helped to pile bad news on top of bad news, even when the "bad news" was the death of a wanted galactic fugitive.

            Allan toggled his link on and keyed the Captain's frequency.

"Lochley, go," the Captain answered, her voice already sounding fatigued.

"Captain, we've got a problem."

***

            "Crap," Lochley murmured, her voice quiet yet filling with anxiety.  "Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap."  Captain Elizabeth Lochley had grown accustomed to receiving the occasional dose of bad news.  In fact, there were times when she started to worry after going too long without receiving some bad news.  On a day however when she was already weighed with the fact that Earth had been attacked and there was not a damn thing she could do about it, more bad news was the last thing she needed.  "Why did this have to happen today?"

            "You know around here that if our job is quiet for three weeks it's followed by four of complete and total hell."  Zack's attempt to make light of the situation caused the slightest of smiles to appear on his Captain's face as she realized that he was, for the most part, correct.  "You'd think the governments of all those worlds that wanted him dead would be happy by this."

"Oh they won't shed any tears over his death but, this man was responsible for eight assassinations and eleven separate attempted assassinations, they're going to want some answers about how he died and why we didn't find him on the station before whoever killed him did."  Lochley realized though that Arem not being arrested would save her a significant amount of frustration.  Had he been placed into custody, there would have been another political mess over which government had the most claim to extradite him.

"Do we have any idea what he might have been doing on the station?"  Lochley asked, running through the list of questions she was likely to be asked a dozen times once news of this got out.

"It could have been anything," Zack answered indifferently.  "Let's face it, Babylon 5 has no shortage of Ambassadors and most of them probably have no shortage of people they've pissed off throughout the years."  Though Zack was not discounting any possibilities, he did have a theory he believed had more substance than the random targeting of an Ambassador.  "But if you look at the timing, the ceremony for Barnes coming up in a couple of days."

Lochley nodded in silent agreement with her security chief's implication.  Security preparations for the ceremony had been their utmost concern for the past several weeks.  With military and political leaders throughout the Alliance converging on Babylon 5, she believed there would be those who would be too tempted by the target and try to exploit it.  Furthermore, it was no secret the Jerry Barnes had made more than a few enemies in his day, some of which were still at large.

"I'm grateful for your concern, Mr. Allan," Jerry Barnes' voice, cold as steel, sounded from the back of the Captain's office.  Lochley, having been focused on Zack and the new problems she was facing, had not seen him come in.  Though the Captain recognized that Babylon 5 was an Alliance station and Barnes was the highest ranking Alliance officer, it was still her command and there were times when she did not want him around, especially times when discussing his safety as he rarely wanted to listen to the warnings given by her or Zack.  Not because he was unnecessarily stubborn but because he wanted to fight his enemies, not be protected from them.

"But it is unwarranted," the Admiral concluded with a reproachful glance towards Lochley.  This was not the first time the two of them had squared off with each other regarding his safety as well as that of the rest of the Army of Light command staff.

"I don't have time to go through this again Admiral," Lochley replied as she sprang from her chair to meet Barnes' challenge.  Barnes did not reply, seemingly stepping out of her way for the moment.  "Zack, do we have any more leads?"  The Captain asked, changing her focus.

"Just one," Zack acknowledged.  "When we searched the body we found an access card to some guest quarters he rented with a false identity.  I'm heading there next to search them, see if he might have left something that indicates what he was doing here or who he was working for, see if he might have left something that indicates what he was doing here or who he was working for."

"All right, get on it.  Let's try to keep this quiet until we know more and I'll just give the normal run around to any Ambassador or security official that finds out about it before we have some definite answers."  Lochley dismissed Zack who promptly left, leaving her and Barnes alone.

"Jerry," Lochley said as she locked eyes with the stone-faced Admiral standing across from her.  "Understand that this is my station and that I'm responsible for the safety and protection of everyone here including yourself."  Though she did not feel the need to justify her actions to a fellow officer, she did feel the need to do so to her friend though they had had this conversation many times in the past.

"Captain, I gave guards outside my office, guards outside the war room and my quarters are in a restricted part of the station, I don't want nor need anymore protection.  I'm just here to do a job."

"And so am I," Lochley reminded him.  "Part of my job is to make sure that you can do your job safely and that's what I'm trying to do.  I'm sorry if it's not what you like or if it inconveniences you but you're going to have to learn to live with it for as long as I'm in charge here."

Barnes nodded, admitting that she was right, as he normally did.  Lochley looked into the face of her old friend.  With the loss of the Seventh Fleet and the potential rise of a new enemy, Jerry Barnes had the weight of a thousand worlds upon him.

"I'm sorry," Barnes conceded, to a degree releasing his guard.  "We all have our duties."

"Indeed we do," Lochley admitted.

"Elizabeth, I've got about two dozens meetings that'll be taking up the rest of the day, not to mention waiting for some reports from the White Stars we've dispatched to where the Seventh was lost but, would you like to have dinner tonight?  Say twenty-one hundred, Earhart's?"

A gentle smile appeared on Elizabeth Lochley's, otherwise taxed face, her brown hair slightly falling over her eyes, reminding Barnes that she was quite a beautiful woman.  By the same token, as the Captain of Babylon 5 looked into his eyes she found, despite the weight upon him, he was a ruggedly handsome man.  

"Sounds wonderful," Lochley eagerly accepted the invitation.  "On one condition," she added.

Barnes raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"We talk for at least five minutes about something other than work."

Barnes laughed wryly; the first time he could remember laughing in a while.  "That is one condition I can definitely agree to.  I'll see you tonight."  The two parted, leaving Lochley to her paperwork as Barnes returned to preparing for a war and waiting for answers.

********************

IAS _Victory_; Hyperspace  
 JANUARY 6, 2272, 13:25 EST 

********************

The IAS _Victory_ slid through hyperspace with the force and speed of an arrow closing on its target.  The hellish black and red hues of hyperspace reflected off the crystalline hull of the mighty warship.  Close behind the destroyer, two squadrons of White Stars, each twelve ships strong, maneuvered gracefully in formation with two of their larger cousins, the An'Shaka class battle cruisers.

From the observation deck, exactly one level above the bridge, Captain Edward MacDonald stood, statue-like as he gazed into the never ending abyss that was hyperspace, his face along with his black and silver uniform, that of the Army of Light, painted a deep red.  There was so much not known about this realm and what lay beyond it, far more than what science had discovered.  Even for races such as the Minbari and C'Les who had possessed the technology for hundreds of years did not fully understand the secrets that hyperspace held.

There had been more than a healthy share of rumors and stories throughout the years of ships that had gone off the hyperspace beacon through either fault or intention.  Some of them were never heard from again while others returned bringing stories of fantastic discoveries while others returned with stories of evils too great and terrible to imagine.

It was a different type of evil Captain Edward MacDonald was on his way to combat.  Unlike those rumors that perpetuated popular mythology, he was on his way to fight an enemy who he could see, fight and kill, or so he believed.  Whoever this enemy was, he would soon have the opportunity to meet them.  Last estimates showed that the _Victory_ and her battle group would be reaching their destination by mid-morning tomorrow at which time they were to begin searching for the murderers of the Seventh Fleet.

Officially, their orders were strictly reconnaissance.  MacDonald however knew Jerry Barnes better than that, having served under him for too long not to know what the Admiral was doing.  The purpose adding the _Victory_ and her escorts to the other elements of the White Star Fleet already positioning themselves near where the Seventh was lost was clear to him; Admiral Barnes was positioning their forces to strike back in the event they did locate those who destroyed the Earth warships.  It was a strike Captain MacDonald was more than prepared to lead.

As the _Victory_ was fresh out of space dock, commissioned only five weeks prior, this would likely be her first combat mission, having been previously delegated to peacetime patrol duties.  The last time the ship had even fired its weapons was during the initial shakedown cruise immediately after the ship had been launched.  MacDonald knew the power of this class of ship, having witnessed it several times in the past but was anxious to make use of the power for himself and give the _Victory_ a proper combat trial.

More so than wanting to put his ship to proper use, MacDonald felt a personal stake in this mission.  Though he had resigned from Earth Force for personal reasons, as a Captain in the Army of Light, MacDonald felt that he still served Earth, as he had for many years before.  When Earth was attacked, MacDonald felt the attack was against him as well and felt a duty to defend his home.  He was sure his crew felt the same way, those who weren't Rangers, sworn to defend all members of the Alliance, were ex-members of Earth Force as he was.  For security purposes and to prevent undo anxiety, he had kept the exact details of their mission secret from all but his executive officer, Commander Connor MacKenzie, telling the rest of the crew that they were leaving for training operations with other parts of the White Star Fleet.

The subtle sound of footsteps on the metal deck of the destroyer barely reached MacDonald's ear, as he remained transfixed on the view.  MacDonald looked at the reflection generated in the window, a young man with clean but blonde hair and an Army of Light uniform, Commander Connor MacKenzie.  MacDonald did not turn away from the view as his XO approached.  "Commander MacKenzie," his voice was eerily soft and reserved as he acknowledged the Commander's presence.  Four years ago, when they had all parted ways on the _Dark Thunder_ had someone told MacDonald then that Connor MacKenzie would be serving as his XO on one of the most powerful ships in the known galaxy, the Captain surely would have chuckled at the idea.  Not to imply that he had no respect for the young man, he simply did not believe at the time that he was suited for a command position.

It had taken an event as grave as the Imradis incident to change MacDonald's view of Connor.  One-year prior, the governor of a Brakiri colony known locally as Imradis began an armed insurrection against the Brakiri Syndicracy as well as the Interstellar Alliance, declaring his intention to break away from both.  Several factors made this situation all the more critical.  The first, a gathering of scientists from across the Alliance taking place on Imradis was taken hostage.  Second, the governor, in addition to his troops, commanded the loyalty of three Avioki cruisers as well as several support ships.  These forces in addition to the planetary defense grid effectively allowed the governor to seal off Imradis.

The Brakiri, fearful that sending in their own military would result in many more deaths on both sides, asked the Alliance to intervene and end the standoff quickly.  Jerry Barnes designed a series of lightning fast raids that eliminated the governor's support structure, disabled the cruisers and allowed the Brakiri to reclaim Imradis.  During one such raid, a group of Alliance fighters led by MacKenzie was shot down over the Imradis capital city.  MacKenzie had organized the survivors, led them through the capital, where there was heavy fighting between loyalist and separatist forces, sent an emergency signal and kept them safe on the outskirts of the city until a White Star commanded by MacDonald arrived to rescue them.  When MacDonald had seen MacKenzie and learned that it was he who had led the survivors, he told him he was proud, the first person he had said that to in some time.

MacKenzie, in his black and silver uniform, its gold Commander bars shining, reflecting the red of hyperspace, stood firm at attention, several feet behind his Captain.  "As you ordered Captain, three Blue Stars have jumped ahead of the fleet and are en-route to Sector 2837 and will be scouting it and the surrounding areas."

The Captain acknowledged with a slow and silent nod.  The Blue Stars, smaller versions of the White Stars designed to act as scout ships, were the fastest, most maneuverable ships in the arsenal of the Interstellar Alliance.  MacDonald's hope in sending them to scout ahead of their ships was that they would be able to outrun any opposition they might encounter.  "You relayed my orders exactly?"  The Captain asked sternly, not moving but making eye contact with MacKenzie's reflection.

"Yes sir, they're to turn around at the first sign of trouble and go at maximum burn until they hook up with the fleet."  MacKenzie slightly changed the wording as MacDonald's original instruction had ordered them to "haul ass" until they found reinforcements.  MacKenzie felt that using those exact words over an open communications channel wouldn't do much to further his respect among the White Star Fleet.

"Good," MacDonald answered.  He waited for a few moments, staring through MacKenzie's reflection into the void of hyperspace.  He expected the Commander would leave now that his report was delivered and was surprised when he did not do so.  "Is there something else Commander?"

MacKenzie hesitated, unsure if he wanted to bring up the other topic he had come to discuss with the Captain.  "Sir, I've been speaking with some of the crew.  They've all been watching ISN, they know what's going on and," the Commander hesitated again.  "Everyone is pretty sure that this isn't just a training mission we're headed for."  He took several steps towards MacDonald, speaking softly.  "Everyone is angry about the Seventh Fleet and everyone wants to know what is going to be done about it."

MacDonald cocked his head, looking slightly over his shoulder at his XO.  The Commander carried an uncertain curiosity on his face as he looked to his Captain for answers.  MacKenzie was still young, almost too young.  Though he had seen more combat than most people should see in their lifetimes, there was still a great deal he didn't understand, a great deal MacDonald was trying to teach him.  "You can tell the crew Mr. MacKenzie, that we'll do whatever we have to do to bring justice."  MacDonald turned away from the Commander and returned to being lost in the swirling vortex of hyperspace.

MacKenzie turned and began walking away, feeling that nothing else needed to be said and that he had answers enough for the crew.  As he walked out, he abruptly stopped and turned back around to face the Captain, deciding if he should ask the question he had saved, if the Captain thought they could fight whatever it was out there.  He opted against it however, again turning and leaving the Captain to himself.

With its Captain staring across the hull of the destroyer and down its path through hyperspace, the _Victory _continued on its way towards a rendezvous with the unknown.

********************

RED SECTOR; BABYLON 5  
 JANUARY 6, 2272, 14:00 EST 

********************

            Though some would say Zack Allan was being paranoid, over ten years of experience on Babylon 5 had taught him that he was simply being cautious and, on Babylon 5, there was no such thing as being too cautious.  Before leaving security for Arem's quarters, he had swept the room with every kind of scanner in the station's array, making sure that they did not detect any nasty surprises that could be waiting for him when he entered.

The Chief stood outside of the quarters, one hand poised on his PPG, the other preparing to press the security override command into the door locking control.  Again, though he did not expect any trouble, he was alert for the possibility of such.  Zack keyed the five-digit combination into the keypad, prompting the door to slide open.  With intensity, Zack drew his sidearm and swept the room.  Seeing no apparent traps or other dangers, Allan relaxed his guard and holstered his weapon.

Arem's quarters appeared no different than any other guest rooms on the station.  This room was small, one of the lower-end rooms available for rent on the station.  It consisted of a room with a full-sized bed, dresser, small circular table, two chairs and a smaller bathroom.  It was decorated by an assortment of reprinted painting hanging on the walls.  Allan pressed another control on the wall bringing the lighting level of the room up to its fullest.

For several minutes, Zack hunted through the room, checking the dresser, and even behind the painting frames with no luck.  Finding nothing of interest aside from a handful of personal clothes, Zack went with his last instinct and activated the BabCom terminal in the room.  It showed that no new messages were waiting but the Arem did have two saved messages.  It took Zack several minutes to bypass the password that had been used to encrypt the two saved messages but he was eventually able to circumvent them using an old trick Michael Garibaldi had taught him.

Both of the messages had been sent from the same "anonymous" send onboard the station.  They did not identify which BabCom terminal they had been sent from though Zack knew it would be possible to trace it from security.  The first message, text only, contained what was apparently a meeting time three days before a location, a less than reputable establishment in Down Below.  The second was a short video transmission showing a black silhouette of a figure, Drazi by the sound of his voice as he spoke.  "Many apologies to you Mr. Arem," the figure spoke with a cold hiss.  "Shipment not of the quality for which you asked.  This item, very hard to locate, very limited quantity, impossible to verify authenticity and quality of shipment.  Will try again acquire the weapon but will be difficult."  The transmission ended.

Zack, having had more questions arise than were answered, forwarded both of the messages to the security office to begin a trace on them.  Zack keyed his link and contacted to security to have Arem's quarters swept by a forensic team for any additional evidence that may not have been visible to the naked eye and to have it sealed off for the time being, allowing access only to authorized personnel.  He then departed for security intending to find out where those messages had been sent from and what business the sender had with Arem.

********************

DREADNOUGHT NRS _R'TAL_; ORBIT OF NARN HOME WORLD  
 JANUARY 6, 2272, 20:49 EST 

********************

            Na'Goth had spent the day in prayer and meditation, preparing for the time that was now hard at hand.  He had prayed that wisdom would be with him, that strength and courage would be will all who he commanded and that victory would be brought to them swiftly.  Furthermore, he prayed that his enemies would not stand in his way and those who did would meet their destruction and would not interfere with his plans to rebuild the Narn Regime.  During his meditation, he had seen their victory and the rise of the Regime to its former glory.

His fleet commanders had finished reporting in moments ago; over six hundred of their warships were fully operational and stood ready to invade.  At his order, the ships of the fleet fired their engines as one and moved away from space dock.  From the bridge of the massive dreadnought _R'Tal_, the Warleader watched as the heavy cruisers and missile frigates took the point position, forming up in front of the dreadnoughts and assault ships.  Na'Goth allowed himself a brief and fading smile as he watched the uncountable number of warships form up with his own.  These ships ranged from the newest to the oldest of the Narn navy, all of them having been outfitted with the latest in technology and weapons, all of them anxious to again serve the Regime as they were designed to.

The strategy was simple enough.  The fleet would attack one world, destroy its defenses and occupy it, leaving some ships behind to see to the defense while the rest of the fleet proceeded to the next target.  If all went properly, and Na'Goth had no reason to doubt that it would, they would have successfully attacked, occupied and secured seven Centauri worlds within fourteen days.

From across the fleet, his commanders signaled their readiness to jump.  All was now prepared.  Na'Goth surveyed his bridge and the eight other Narns on it.  They were the finest the Regime had to offer, all well trained in the arts of war and experts at their job, they would do him and his ship proud.  The Warleader sank into his command chair, allowing himself a brief moment of calm, for the storm was now upon them.  Crossing his hands in front of the face, he gave the order.  "Jump," Na'Goth said understatedly.

The heavens were ripped apart in a dazzling display as hundreds blue and white vortexes tore through the fabric.  The smaller support ships, not capable of forming their own jump points, moved first through those opened by the larger cruisers and dreadnoughts.  The mainstay of the fleet soon followed, the jump points closing behind them and space returning to its placid state.  In hyperspace, the massive fleet slowly slid towards its first target.  Na'Goth ordered the fleet taken as far off the main hyperspace routes as possible so as to avoid detection by any early warning nets.  As the fleet fell into hyperspace, Na'Goth waited, waited for his appointment with destiny.

*******

Mere minutes later, another ship slid through the hyperspace of Narn territory, this ship however, was not leaving the Narn home world but approaching it.  The sleek form of the battle cruiser _Night's Eye_ glided gracefully towards its destination, not knowing what awaited them there.  The orders handed down to this vessel were to conduct a routine security patrol of Narn territory, beginning with a pass over their home world and the surrounding territory.  Little did her crew know that this particular patrol would turn out to be anything but routine.

As they approached Narn, they saw nothing they had expected to see.  The space docks were all but empty, the majority of the Narn fleet was gone, empty starship births left behind.  Rather than seeking explanation, the Alliance cruiser disappeared back to hyperspace before much notice was paid to it.  Reentering hyperspace, the dark, sleek cruiser set itself off the primary Narn hyperspace beacon and sent a signal both of warning and of disclosure as others aside from those it was intended for listened and watched.

********************

EARHART'S; BABYLON 5  
 JANUARY 6, 2272, 21:06 EST 

********************

            Jerry Barnes was as relaxed as he had been in sometime, despite the weights upon his mind.  The room was crowded but Barnes had managed to find a somewhat secluded table in the back.  As he sat, waiting for Elizabeth, who seemed to be running stylishly late, and nursing a vodka and tonic, he allowed himself to slip out of his role as commander of the Army of Light, if only for a moment.

It was a moment however that he would be sure to enjoy.

Barnes watched intently as Captain Elizabeth Lochley strode through the door, scanning the room.  After approaching a waitress, the friendly individual directed her to Barnes' table.  Approaching the table, she smiled as Barnes stood to greet her, a slight smile having crept its way to his own face.

"Captain," Barnes greeted her in addition to pulling her chair out.

"Admiral," Lochley said as she sat and Barnes gave her chair a gentle push towards the table.  "Thank you," she added in casual appreciation of the courtesy he had displayed.  "Did your day get any better?"  Elizabeth asked as Jerry again took his seat across from her.

"I spent all of it discussing the possible future of the Alliance with military leaders from a dozen different worlds, half of which think I'm the wrong person for the job," Barnes sarcastically responded, taking another healthy sip of his drink.  "But the good news is that they've all signed on to provide support in the event we end up in any sort of a full-scale conflict."

"And do you think it will come to that?"  Lochley asked, her voice soft with curiosity.

Barnes sighed deeply at the presentation of a question he did not want to have to answer.  "I don't know," he admitted.  "I don't think we'll know for sure until the _Victory _and the rest of our ships complete their reconnaissance."

"And then?"

"We make a choice, to go to war or preserve the peace," Barnes answered in a tone of voice did not inspire confidence for the latter option.  They had both considered that war could be the only option once they made contact with the destroyers of the Seventh Fleet.  "I hope there will be some sort of diplomatic option available but the truth of it is, I don't see it happening."

"What do you say we change the subject?"  Lochley suggested.

"That sounds like a fine idea," Barnes concurred.

"How are the preparations for the swearing in ceremony?"  Lochley suggested with a sly grin.

Barnes smiled, realizing Lochley had purposely selected the one other topic he had wanted to avoid.  For the past several days, he had been trying to avoid discussing or participating in preparations for the ceremony, the one brightside to today's events being that they had given him the excuse to not involve himself with them.  "I haven't even given them a second though.  I hate ceremonies, I can't even remember the last one I was part of."

"I do," Lochley said knowingly, taking a small taste of her own newly delivered drink, a tall glass of white wine she had ordered while being escorted to the table.

"Oh?"

"2266, when ground was broken at Earth Dome for the Telepath War monument, you gave a speech about how we can no longer allow the dangers of prejudice and the thoughts of superiority lead to the horror of war."

Barnes nodded, remembering now.  Though the ceremony and the speech he had long forgotten, the events that they commemorated he could never forget, despite his desires to.  "If only it was easier to remember what happened after the war than what happened during the war."

Elizabeth agreed.  She and Barnes were veterans of countless wars, conflicts and border skirmishes and for each, they carried different stories, memories, mistakes and promises to not make the same ones again.  "Maybe after the wars and between the wars we have to make choices that will be more memorable than what we're forced to experience during the wars"

Barnes smiled at the suggestion as he locked eyes with Lochley.  The two of them had seen so much in their days; rarely did they allow time such as this for themselves.  Their free hands meeting in the middle of the table, fingertips barely rubbing against each other, they both felt a strange but welcoming peace settle over them.

"Elizabeth … I," Jerry hesitantly tried to find the words.

"Don't say anything," Elizabeth whispered, leaning closer to him.  They had both felt this coming for sometime, both tried to fight it and both failed in doing so.  She did not want to discuss it or reason through it, she simply wanted to let the moment be as it was.

"Admiral!"  An unmistakable voice sounded from across the room, Barnes pulling himself away from Lochley and standing to see Julia Rourke approaching their table with a fury in her step.

"Julia, I thought I made it clear that I did not want to be –" Barnes was cut short as the Assistant Director of Intelligence spoke over him.

"I'm sorry sir, but this couldn't wait."  Julia insisted and by the passion in her voice, Barnes was assured it couldn't and told her to proceed.  "We just received a flash trans from the _Night's Eye_," she dropped her voice to a low whisper, not wanting anyone else in the lounge to hear the information she had brought.  "The Narn fleet is missing."

"What?"  Barnes barked, demanding more information than he had been giving.

"They were performing a security sweep over the Narn home world," she kept her voice at a calm whisper despite the urgency of the information they carried.  "The last White Star that went through their two days ago saw over eight hundred ships, the majority of their fleet, in space docks undergoing repairs and retrofitting.  The _Night's Eye_ detected over eighty percent of those docks now empty and over six hundred ships missing.  Word from my sources also indicates that Warleader Na'Goth is nowhere to be found on Narn or any of their colonies, we can assume that wherever the fleet is, he's with them."

Barnes, shocked at the news, took a moment before he replied.  With as much as a two-day head start, the Narn fleet could be anywhere, with any purpose.  With Na'Goth in command however, Barnes had a fair idea of what that purpose could be.  Though there had been times where Na'Goth proved to be a strong ally, Barnes knew his mind was always bent on a lone purpose, a purpose he refused to abandon.  In the long run, Na'Goth cared about only two things, the complete reclamation of the Narn Regime and the fall of the Centauri Republic and he considered those two purposes to be linked.

"Find Mike," Barnes directed to Rourke.  "Meet me in the war room in ten minutes and send a priority message to one of our White Star squadrons in that area, tell them to split up and join the _Night's Eye_ in searching for the Narns, the other squadron is to standby in hyperspace."  Seeing that the Admiral had no further orders for the moment, Julia left.

"I'm sorry," Barnes bent over and whispered into Lochley's ear.

"Go do what you have to do."  Lochley countered with an understanding grin, gazing at Barnes as he darted from the room.

Barnes did not look back but continued on his way to his duties.  Those, after all, had always come first to him, above anything else, as it seemed they would in the future now that the Alliance stood on the brink of war on two separate fronts.


	4. Chapter Three

**************** CHAPTER THREE ******************

WAR ROOM; BABYLON 5  
 JANUARY 7, 2272, 02:33 EST **************** 

            Barnes' vision had begun to blur, staring at the war room map screen for the five hours was doing nothing for him.  The fatigue combined with the stress of the situation was wearing the Admiral's patience thin.  Surely the White Stars should have found something by now.  Then Barnes considered the area they had to search, combined with the limited number of ships they had available and the difficulties of conducting a search in hyperspace and he was not surprised that there had been no sighting of any Narn ships.

            Since he had arrived in the war room, he and Taylor had been further briefed by Rourke, seeing images of the empty space docks where the Narn fleet had been previously birthed only days before.  They had then dispatched orders to the White Stars in the area to begin conducting a thorough search for the missing ships.  This had been followed by him contacting Ambassador Ta'lon, the Narn representative to the Alliance, who had said exactly what Barnes believed he would, that he had no idea where there fleet had gone.  Barnes was no stranger to how such things worked and new that even if Ta'Lon knew, he would say nothing about it.  The Admiral, however, had instinct to trust the Ambassador.

            After speaking with Ta'Lon and trying, unsuccessfully, to contact the Kha'Ri on the Narn home world, he had contacted President Sheridan on Minbar.  The President had naturally expressed concern over the situation but had said he was leaving it Barnes' capable hands and that he would expect a fully briefing when he arrived on the station later today.  Until that moment, Barnes had forgotten that Sheridan would be en-route to the station today for the ceremony.  He made a mental note to see to dispatching additional escorts for the President's ship once this situation with the Narns had been resolved.

            That is, if the situation with the Narns could be resolved.

            Though he did not know what Na'Goth was planning, he did know one thing about the Narn Warleader, he was mad and it was his madness, his thirst for revenge that drove him in all things.  What was guiding Na'Goth was not his mind, his tactical genius, it was his burning need to make the Centauri feel the pain the Narns felt all while returning his people to what he believed to be their rightful place in the universe.

"White Star Thirty-Two checked in ten minutes ago, still no sign of the Narn fleet on any of the normal hyperspace routes."  Admiral Taylor reported, the sound of his voice giving away that his patience was also wearing thin.  Still, Taylor's composure never faltered, even under situations of extreme stress, which was one of the reasons Barnes had brought him onboard as second-in-command of the Army of Light.

"Na'Goth won't use normal hyperspace routes," Barnes countered, sluggishly standing from the center meeting table and dragging himself through a pace around the room.  "Not for what he's planning anyways."  Barnes noted, scratching his chin.  

Though he did not know what Na'Goth's plan was, he was certain that it was something he would want to go undetected until he unveiled it.  Barnes' job was to keep him from doing so.

Taylor scrolled through the list of reports that were coming in from the White Stars conducting the search for the Narn fleet.  "The _Night's Eye _along with White Stars Eighty-One and One-Eleven are conducting their search as far off the hyperspace beacon as possible, starting with the area around the Narn home world and spreading their search pattern outward.  But with the limited range of sensors in hyperspace and the amount of space to cover, it'll be luck if they find anything."  Taylor's voice did not encourage hope and with good reason.  The majority of the time, when a fleet was detected in hyperspace, they were riding a primary beacon and tripped an early warning net.  A fleet traveling off the primary beacons did not have to worry about such things, as most believed no one would dare trying to move an entire fleet far enough off the beacon to avoid detection.

Na'Goth was another story altogether.  Barnes, Taylor and Rourke had learned from their share of experiences with him that he did not care about the risks he took, so long as he accomplished his goals in the end.

Barnes rubbed his head.  He could not think clearly and was tempted to go to his quarters for an hour or two of sleep but put those thoughts from his mind.  This was where he needed to be.  If, when they found Na'Goth's fleet, this is where choices would be made, choices that would have to be made in a second's notice, choices that could start or stop a war and he had to be here to make those choices.

Vice Admiral Taylor concentrated on readings the reports from the White Stars as they came in.  Focusing entirely on his work allowed him to block everything else from his mind.  The stress, the fatigue, all of it subsided as he focused on his work, on trying to predict what moves Na'Goth was making.  Barnes was counting on him for his opinions on the decision he would be forced to make.

Julia Rourke occupied herself with studying intelligence reports on the Centauri colonies nearest the Narn border.  Jerry Barnes had indicated he believed Na'Goth was planning to launch an attack against the Centauri and that was in line with everything Alliance Intelligence had on the Narn Warleader.  The reclamation of the Narn Regime had perpetrated his thoughts since the Centauri left their world in 2261, at the end of the Shadow War.

Julia had pulled everything Alliance Intelligence had on those Centauri colonies near the border and was now trying to determine which would make a likely first target for the Narn attack.  In doing so, she was taking all factors into consideration, their proximity to Narn territory, proximity to other potential Centauri targets, strategic value, natural resources and their defenses.  Not that she had deluded herself into thinking of their information on the Centauri was anywhere near accurate.  Though relationships with the Centauri were cordial, they had not yet reached the level where they openly shared their military secrets with the Alliance.  As such, they relied on reports from the Rangers and other intelligence sources to base their estimates on.

After several minutes of sluggishly pacing about the room, lost in his thoughts, Barnes yanked a chair from the center meeting table and planted in it, fixing his gaze once again upon the map screen.  It was zoomed in on the area near the Narn/Centauri border where the White Stars were conducting their search and displayed in real time the location of their ships both in real space and the relative position of those that were searching hyperspace, as best their location could be correlated given the differences between the two realms.  As he watched the White Stars and cruisers fly through their respective search patterns, his eyes moved to the Centauri star systems nearest the Narn border.

Though Barnes did not know Na'Goth well, he believed he understood him well enough to think as though he were in his position.  Na'Goth was passionate about his convictions, passionate enough that he would allow it to play a factor in his strategy.  A though.  The Admiral snapped around with renewed vigor, pointing to a Lieutenant at the rear of the war room.  "You!"  Barnes announced loudly.

"Yes sir," the Lieutenant said sheepishly, caught off guard by the sudden burst from the Admiral.

"Put up an overlay," Barnes ordered, springing from his chair and waving his arms across the map.  "Show me all the planets in Centauri space that used to belong to the Narns before the war in '59 along with the dates when they were lost to the Centauri."  The Lieutenant accessed the Interstellar Alliance database and the image on the screen was soon changed to show several Centauri planets with the symbol of the Narn Regime overlaid on top of them with the corresponding dates of their loss to the Centauri below.

Barnes studied the map intently, as did Taylor and Rourke who were both trying to determine what the Admiral was getting at.  Barnes stalked closer to the screen, his eyes that of a hunter as he gazed upon the screen.  Na'Goth and his fleet were out there, Barnes knew it and all he had to do was think like Na'Goth to learn where they were.  Inching ever closer to the screen, Barnes focused on a single planet.  He barely remembered it, having seen the name once before while in command of the EAS _Elysium _during the Narn/Centauri war in an intelligence update from Earth Force.

During the opening days of the war, the Narns made significant advances into Centauri territory until the Centauri mobilized their fleet.  The Narn offensive was steadily beaten back and the Centauri began the conquest of the Narns.  This system had been the first to fall once the offensive against the Regime had begun.  Barnes understood the sense of justice Na'Goth possessed to be somewhat poetic.  Were he in the shoes of the Narn Warleader, he could think of no better place to begin rebuilding the Regime.

"There!"  Barnes roared, extending his finger and pointing towards the system and catching the attention of every officer in the war room as he did so.  "That's where Na'Goth is going to hit first!"

Rourke slid behind his shoulder and took notice of the system he was indicating.  She had reviewed the information on that system and aside from its proximity to the Narn border, there was little in the way of strategic value or natural resources that could interest the Narns.  "Admiral, with all due respect, any of the other systems here would make a more value first strike target than this one."  Julia said, a tint of trepidation in her voice as she spoke.  Barnes, when he was sure of his theories, was not one who took a liking to others disagreeing with them.

Barnes nodded several times in rapid succession, admitting that Julia was right.  The next planet in line after this one had a substantial supply of several minerals that would be useful in starship and weapon construction while another possessed a fully functional repair yard.  She was right that any of those targets would make for more logical first moves but the strange thing about revenge was that it was not always guided by logic and, in the end, what Na'Goth cared about more than anything was revenge against the Centauri.  Barnes knew this better than most other humans could, having experienced his rage for revenge on a first-hand basis.

"You're right," Barnes snapped about at the waist and looked Rourke in the eye.  "But that's where he's heading," Barnes said confidently.  "Mike," the Vice Admiral's head popped away from reading his reports as the Admiral addressed him.  "What's our closest ship to that area?"

"The _Night's Eye_," Taylor answered quickly, having already checked the positioning of their forces when Barnes had first displayed an interest system.  "We can have three White Stars there to back them up within twenty minutes."

"No," Barnes said, a plan of action now coming to his mind.  If he was to stop the Narns, those White Stars would be needed.  "Tell the _Night's Eye_ to alter their search pattern and scour that area.  Send a message to the rest of our ships to form up in hyperspace near that location and await further orders."  Taylor quickly made his way to the communications station to begin carrying out the Admiral's orders, not completely understanding the reasoning in having the remainder of their ships simply standby and wait while one conducted the search.

"Admiral, shouldn't we send more ships to help the _Night's Eye_, that's a lot of area for one ship to cover?"  Rourke asked suspiciously.

"No," the Admiral replied instantly without thought to consider her questions.  "If I'm right we're going to need those ships to stop Na'Goth once we find him and we won't have the time needed for them to regroup if they're split up."

"Admiral, twenty-four White Stars and three cruisers aren't enough to take on a whole Narn fleet if it comes down to a shooting match.  They'll be killed."  Rourke argued against his plan, a concerned smoothness to her voice and her deep blue eyes carrying a gentle burden upon them.

"No, they'd be killed instantly but I know Na'Goth and those ships might be all we need to stop this from spiraling into a war with the Centauri."

"If Na'Goth acts the way you think he will."

"He will."

"You're sure?"

"Completely."

"And if he doesn't?"

"God help us and the crews of those ships out there."

"You think Na'Goth would fire on our ships?"  Julia asked, taken aback at the idea.  Though she had seen it before, she could not easily come to grips with the idea of someone turning so violently on people who were supposed to be their allies.

"He believes is cause the only one Julia, a holy cause," Barnes answered in a matter-of-fact tone.  "If he feels our ships can interfere with his cause, then yes, if he thinks firing on and destroying our ships will further his goals and allow him to continue on his holy crusade, then yes, he will."

"Great," Julia commented with a sigh.  "A megalomaniac Narn with six-hundred warships."  Barnes, far past the point where he would be amused by her sarcasm, glared in her direction.  "Well somebody had to say it," she added with a shrug of her shoulders.  Barnes slowly turned his head away from her as the two of them returned to watching the screen and their forces as they carried out his orders.

********************

IAS _NIGHT'S EYE_; HYPERSPACE  
 JANUARY 7, 2272, 02:48 EST 

********************

            Natalie Johnson glided across the bridge, which was stained by the red light of hyperspace emanating from the view ports, of the battle cruiser, her black Ranger robes flowing with her movement, as her communication's officer, a Narn, Makeel, who was not so much younger than she, advised her of an incoming transmission from Babylon 5.  As she hovered over his shoulder, the Narn's hands worked quickly to decode the message from the Army of Light command.  Though the _Night's Eye_ was ultimately under the authority of the Anla'Shok Council and the Entil'Zha, those had yielded some authority to Admiral Barnes and his staff when it came to the assignments and missions of the White Star Fleet.

            The message from Babylon 5 was a simple, text-only, set of orders, directing them to concentrate their search in hyperspace around a particular Centauri planet near the border of Narn territory, saying that they had reason to believe that was where the Narn fleet was en-route.  She ordered him to send a coded message acknowledging the orders and to resume scanning all known communications channels to try and locate the Narn fleet.  If they had, for some reason, divided their forces, there was a chance of picking up on the communication between them.

            "Helm, bring us about to the new set of coordinates received from Babylon 5 and continue our search as far off the beacon as possible," Johnson ordered as she gracefully strode back to her command chair.  Their search through the furthest reaches of hyperspace continued for several minutes with no results.  The _Night's Eye_ had one of the strongest sensor suites of any Alliance ship and it was unable to detect any trace of a Narn ship or a trace of anything.  There was quite literally nothing to be found here.  

As the rest of the crew carried out their duties, they were amazed by the composure of their Captain.  Though Rangers were trained, far better than any others, to handle themselves under pressure but all of the crew was feeling a degree of anxiety for the situation with which they were now faced.

            With the notable exception of Val'Na Johnson, who was a model of tranquility.  For several minutes, as the crew proceeded with their orders and duties, she did nothing except sit perfectly still and watch the chaos of hyperspace through the forward view port.  As the ship maneuvered about, searching all but aimlessly through the vast, unknown reaches of hyperspace; she realized they would not find the Narns here.  As she watched the swirling fields of this other dimension dance before here, everything became clear.  It was obvious enough now that she could see how easily she and others would have overlooked it before.

            "Navigation," she addressed the Brakiri Ranger at the station with a serene tone of voice.  "Show me how far we are off the hyperspace beacon."  A holographic image appeared, showing a representation of the _Night's Eye_, a display of the location of the nearest hyperspace beacon and a red dotted line showing how far off the beacon they were traveling.  The crew had no idea what the Val'Na was thinking nor did they question her train of thought, wanting to see where it led them.

            "Now," she said, her voice filling with purpose as she rose from her chair and slowly guided towards the display.  "Show me how far, give the state of their technology, the Narn fleet could be off the beacon."  As the display was updated with a large 'X' halfway between their ship and the hyperspace beacon, Johnson's thinking suddenly became clear to the rest of the bridge crew.

            The ships of the White Star Fleet, the Victory destroyers, An'Shaka cruisers and the White Stars themselves were the most advanced ships in the galaxy now that the First Ones had departed for the rim.  As such, they were able to travel farther off hyperspace beacons than any other ships.  The reason was quite simple; they hadn't found the Narn ships because they had been searching too far off the beacon.

            "Tactical, activate darklight mode."  She ordered, a new fire bringing itself to her voice.  "Navigation, alter course and continue our search pattern within the operation range of the Narn warships."  At her command, the two officers carried out their instructions.  The main lights of the bridge dimmed as the ship entered its stealth mode.  Though it was subtle, Johnson felt the ship as it turned and slid through hyperspace.

            After several minutes of waiting, a singular alarm sounded at the tactical station, replacing the silence that had been populating the bridge.  "Val'Na," the human Ranger reported, quickly accessing his console and studying the new sensor information that was being displayed.  "Detecting multiple power signatures ahead, not far.  They're consistent with that of Narn engine design."

            "How many power signatures Michael?"  She asked, her serenity returning as she again found her place in the command chair.

            His fingers glided across the control panel, focusing their sensors on the Narn ships ahead.  His eyes widened as their sensors counted the number of ships they were rapidly approaching.  "Six-hundred forty-nine," he reported, his voice shaking as he did so.

            "Calm yourself," she said reassuringly.  "They can't see us, not yet at least."  As she watched the readouts from their sensors now being displayed in front of her, she saw they would soon be in visual range of the Narn fleet.  "Navigation, continue our approach, put us right behind the Narns, I want to get a look at them."  

            "Val'Na, should I advise Babylon 5?"  Makeel questioned as he to watched the sensor display intently.

            "No," she answered, her voice soft, almost disturbingly so.  "Not yet"

The crew, somewhat bewildered by her orders carried them out and soon the massive, dagger-like shapes of the Narn warships, their hulls red as blood and black as the night sky, the similar colors of hyperspace absorbed by their hulls, became visible.  There were hundreds of them, proceeding slowly yet with a great purpose through the depths of hyperspace.

            "How far are we from the colony Barnes thinks they're going to hit?"

            "Less than two hours."  Makeel replied, being the first on the bridge to check.

            "Meaning we're not far from the Centauri border.  Even though they're off the beacon, that many ships might trip the early warning net and if they do, we're all dead."  She hesitated for a moment as the sight of the Narn ships once again drew her attention from everything else.  "Send a signal to Babylon 5 with our location and advising that we've found the Narn fleet.  Then let's hope Admiral Barnes has some trick card up his sleeve."

            Falling silently into formation, underneath a massive Narn dreadnought, the _Night's Eye _became a shadow of the beast; the beast, which it might soon have to kill.

********************

WAR ROOM; BABYLON 5  
 JANUARY 7, 2272, 03:17 EST 

********************

            "They've found them!"  Taylor announced as he watched the message from the _Night's Eye_ being displayed across the communication's monitor.  "You were right Admiral," Taylor admitted as he quickly ran to the meeting table where Barnes and Rourke were standing.  "They're heading straight for that sector.  Anla'Shok Val'Na Johnson estimates that they're one hour and forty-three minutes away."  The image on the map screen was instantly updated with the location of the Narn fleet and consequently, that of the _Night's Eye_.  "She reports that they're tracking over six hundred and forty ships, meaning they haven't split their fleet into separate elements."  Vice Admiral Taylor did not hide try to hide that he was relieved at this news.  If the Narns had split their force into two or more groups, it would make the job of stopping them that much more difficult as it had taken them this long to locate one fleet.

            "That means we still have time," Barnes observed in his quiet tone of voice that indicated he was in rather deep thought.  Not a great deal of time though.  Being that far away from the colony put them only twenty-five minutes away from the Centauri border, meaning that if they were to act, it would have to be fast.  Though the odds of the Narn fleet setting off the Centauri warning net were not high, it was still a possibility, a possibility Barnes wanted to avoid testing.  "What's the closest uninhabited system?"  Barnes did not ask the question to any particular person, he simply wanted the information and did not care who provided it.

            Rourke quickly checked through the information she had.  "Here," she said gesturing to a star on the screen.  It was a star not unlike that of the Sol System with eight planets circling, none of them habitable.  "Just inside the Narn border," she added, knowing which side of the border it was on would be the next question from the Admiral.  The display soon shifted to an enlarged, three-dimensional, view of that system, displaying a fully animated representation of the star along with detailed representations of the planets and their respective moons moving along their orbits.

            Barnes knew then that he had to act quickly, that there was very little time in which they had to prevent a war.  "Mike," Barnes said, pulling his gaze away from the display and focusing on the job at hand.  "Have all of our White Stars that are close enough converge on that sector, tell them to setup as close to the star as possible, it might be able to mask them from long range sensors."  Barnes had a plan, he wasn't sure if it was a good plan but it was the only thing he had.  Taylor ran to the communications station where he dispatched the Admiral's orders, flagging them as Ultraviolet priority.

            As Barnes watched their forces moving into position on the display screen, reports flew in, indicating which White Stars had arrived and which were still en-route.  Those were mixed with periodic messages from the _Night's Eye_ reporting how far they were from the Centauri border.  Barnes listened and watched, feeling almost helpless as the minutes that remaining passed away.  Part of him wanted to be there, on the front lines of this crisis while another part of him, the more rational, part reminded him that this as the place he needed to be, the place he had to be.

            With four minutes remaining until the Narns crossed the Centauri border, the report came from Taylor that the last of their ships in that area were in position.  White Star Sixty-Seven was the last to arrive, lifting Barnes' spirit to some degree as he learned that someone he knew would be present on the fronts.  Ranger Greg Giovoni, a former member of the Dark Thunder crew, was the commander of White Star Sixty-Seven.  The Admiral was for once grateful that the modest and seemingly non-ambitious Ranger had turned down his last three attempts to promote him to command of a cruiser or destroyer.

            Still, Barnes wished he could be there with him.  He suspected a part of him would always want to be with the fleet, even when it was not a possibility.

The Admiral rebuilt his composure, positioned himself in front of the main communications monitor and ordered a tachyon-enhanced channel, to allow for the fastest, most secure communication possible, opened to the _Night's Eye_.

            The face of Anla'Shok Val'Na Natalie Johnson, the commander of the Night's Eye, soon replaced the emblem of the Interstellar Alliance on the monitor.  Barnes, never having met the woman before, was surprised at how young she was.  He had seen many Rangers younger, even some in command of White Stars but rarely in command of battle cruisers.  Someday he would have to find out what extraordinary feet she had accomplished, or whom she had made an enemy of, to be rewarded command of the _Night's Eye_.  "Admiral Barnes," she began with a respectful nod of her head, a habit he wished the Rangers would lose when dealing with him.  "A pleasure to meet you."

            "And you Val'Na Johnson," Barnes returned the greeting but skipped straight to the purpose of the conversation.  "I'm going to be asking a great deal of you and your crew and we don't have a lot of time so listen carefully."

            As Taylor, Rourke and the staff of the war room listened to the Admiral unveil his plan for the first time, all were stunned.  Barnes was quite literally counting on what he believed to know about Na'Goth and the presence of less than thirty ships from the White Star Fleet to deter a six hundred strong Narn war fleet.  Sharing a look of great concern and staggered silence with Julia, Michael Taylor could not help but uncertainty about the risk Barnes was taking.  Barnes was however the one trusted to make those decisions and, in the years Taylor had known him, he almost always tended to agree with his decisions in the end.  Almost.

            The transmission ended as the Captain of the _Night's Eye_ went to carry out her orders, orders she had accepted without question or hesitation, orders that would place her and her crew in greater danger than they had ever faced.  Orders that only a Ranger could accept without any sign of fear.

********************

NRS _R'TAL_; HYPERSPACE  
 JANUARY 7, 2272, 03:38 EST 

********************

            Na'Goth again allowed himself a smile as he gazed at the image in front of him.  His fleet was intact and only minutes from the Centauri border.  Once they crossed it, they would have taken the first step in their great crusade.  Though he did wish to remain undetected to the Centauri for as long as possible, he did hope they would have some ships waiting when he reached his first target, it would make their victory all the more glorious to smash through warships of the great Republic before taking back their world.  It was their world after all.  The Centauri had forced it from them, years ago but now, he would force it back.

            An unmistakable sound, that of a perimeter alert from the tactical station pulled Na'Goth from his thoughts as his eyes, those of a hunter, shot to his officer, demanding a report without the Warleader saying a word.  Before it could be delivered however, Na'Goth took notice of something far more troubling.  The dull red and black of hyperspace showing through the forward view ports was replaced by a bright green that shined brightly across the bridge.  The energy blast faded and Na'Goth thought of only one thing it could have originated from.

            "Warleader!"  The Narn's voice betrayed the fact that he was startled and to a degree frightened by what he had seen on his sensor display.  "I don't know where it came but an Alliance cruiser just appeared on our rear sensors and fired a shot across our ship!"  His console sounded again and his hands worked zealously as he studied the new data being relayed to him by the sensors.  "It is breaking away from the fleet at high speed!"

            Listening to his officer's report, Na'Goth glared at the forward view port as the ship, what looked to be something of a strange hybrid of a White Star and a Shadow cruiser, passed over the outer hull of the _R'Tal_ and flew through his fleet.  "No," he whispered.  The Alliance had interfered too many times with his plans; he would not allow them to do so this time.  It was only one ship; one ship would not be allowed to stop him.

            "Alliance cruiser is moving away quickly, powering jump engines, they're preparing to jump to normal space."

            "Order pursuit," Na'Goth commanded, his voice sodden with hate.

            The tactical officer opened communications to the rest of the fleet who had no doubt seen for themselves the Alliance cruiser that was endangering their plans.  If that cruiser escaped and sent a message to the Alliance, they would surely arrive to stop them before they were able to attack the Centauri.  "Attack squadrons seven and twelve, alter course and prepare to –"

            "No!"  Na'Goth growled, not pleased with the orders that were being given.  He sprung from his chair and ran to stand above the shoulder of the officer who was bewildered by the Warleader's behavior.  "Not two tactical squadrons," the Warleader said condescendingly.  "The entire fleet, order the entire fleet to pursue."  His voice and eyes were ablaze giving the order as he stalked his target through the piece of glass all that separated the two.

            At the tactical station, the Narn officer, young and set in his ways, backed down immediately when he looked into Na'Goth's eyes and saw the madness that dominated them.  He quickly dispatched the orders to the rest of the fleet who altered to an attack formation and turned to an intercept vector.

            The Warleader listened as his orders were given, a merciless grin dominating his face, eyes fixed on the Alliance battle cruiser fleeing from his command, having all but vanished from view, now nothing but a small black dot against the vast reaches of hyperspace.  His eyes were tiny pinholes into his soul as he watched a jump point tear through hyperspace into normal space, the miniscule black dot that was the Alliance cruiser disappeared through it, hyperspace becoming complete once again as the jump point closed behind.  They had ran, no doubt fleeing the quick death they knew was upon them but they would not be able to run far.  He would pursue them, tracking them down and killing them before they could become a threat.

            "All commands report ready to jump."

            Na'Goth gave a maniacal chuckle.  He had trained his fleet officers well and now they were prepared to strike.  "Jump!"  He ordered as his laughter echoed throughout the bridge.

*******

            "The _Night's Eye_ has just jumped in, she's entering formation with us."

            Ranger Greg Giovoni gave a subtle nod of acknowledgment without turning his head to the Minbari on his right side.  The Captain of White Star 67 was a model of composure, a statue as he watched the cruiser enter formation with their small fleet that had assembled around the bright orange and yellow sun of this small, otherwise non-consequential solar system.  Though it was close to the Centauri border, the system had no other real value.  Its eight planets were not habitable and none possessed any significant amounts of useable resources.  As such, it made a perfect hiding place for trying to keep the Narns and Centauri away from each other.  The last thing the Alliance needed at this point was for another shooting war to begin.

            "White Star 67 to _Night's Eye_," Giovoni said, activating the communications system with a flick of his left index finger.  "Good to see you again Natalie," he had wanted to take the time to extend a greeting to the commander of the cruiser now, while they still had the opportunity, before the storm came.  He did not know her well but Giovoni proudly called Natalie Johnson a friend, a sentiment she would return, if for no other reason than in gratitude for him saving her neck during a showdown with several Shadow-tech warships.  Of course, he did not currently have time to be reliving those exploits.

            "Feeling is mutual Greg," it was odd for the crew of the White Star to hear their Val'Na addressed by his first name.  "Wish it could be under better circumstances," the mistress of the _Night's Eye _concluded, met with an unambiguous agreement from Giovoni.

            As Giovoni watched the blossoming energy of two hundred jump points forming in front of him, he took a deep, cleansing breathe as time around him seemed to slow.  Closing his eyes and himself to the world around him as he slipped into a slight meditation to clear his mind before battle, Giovoni felt himself questioning the wisdom of the plan Admiral Jerry Barnes had hastily developed, the one person Giovoni had never questioned in his life.

            He could not help finding some fault with this plan however.  It seemed to be working thus far, using the _Night's Eye_ to draw Na'Goth's fleet out of hyperspace before they reached the Centauri but that was where Giovoni ceased seeing the Admiral's wisdom.  They had stationed thirty-nine ships, three twelve-ship squadrons of White Stars and three attack cruisers in this system to oppose over six hundred well-armed and outfitted Narn warships, commanded by someone who he knew was quite fully insane.  Though the White Star Fleet was significantly more advanced than even the newest Narn warship, they could not hope to survive if it came down to a battle, the odds the way they were.

            Before he opened his eyes, Giovoni whispered a silent prayer that Barnes had some sort of a plan that did not involve allowing the two groups of ships to engage each other.  Though he was confident that his former Captain, his friend, had a plan, he wished he had more confidence in their situation.

            His eyes sprung open and focused on the image that was now before him.  The first wave of hundreds of Narn warships, their red and black shapes daggers as they advanced, flew from their jump points, closing on the vastly outnumbered Alliance task force.  As he watched the Narns converge on them, Giovoni could not turn away, could not even blink until the last of their ships had cleared hyperspace.

            "Natalie, you ever feel like you're looking into the mouth of hell?"  Giovoni broke the uneasy silence on the bridge with the only words his mouth could compose.

            Her voice first quivered with fear, something Giovoni could never recall having heard from her but she soon brought herself back under control with a series of deep breaths Giovoni could hear her taking.  "I don't think the mouth of hell would be quite this frightening."

            Giovoni gave a silent agreement along with the rest of his crew as he ordered the ship to battle stations with the Narn fleet slowly and purposefully advancing against them.

********************

IAS_ VICTORY_; HYPERSPACE  
 JANUARY 7, 2272, 03:41 EST 

********************

            Sleep had not come easily to Captain Edward MacDonald this evening.  Every time he closed his eyes, he saw no blackness, all he saw was the faces of all those he knew onboard the Seventh Fleet.  He saw the faces of dozens of officers he knew burning in space as their starships died, attacked by an unknown force.  Though he had not known anyone from the Seventh Fleet well, he felt each of their deaths personally.  Now, he would go into battle against their murderers.

            As sleep had yielded no results, MacDonald had tried finding other ways to fill his abundance of available time.  The last thing he wanted was to simply wait for the _Victory_ to reach its destination or for word from the Blue Stars they had sent ahead.  Planting himself at his desk, the Captain had first reviewed, in detail, four day's worth of intelligence updates from Minbar.  Though none of the data contained in them was particularly useful to his current situation, it had helped to pass an hour worth of time.

            Next, he had reviewed the performance reports from the battle drill they had conducted after receiving their new orders.  Commander MacKenzie had questioned him about conducting a battle drill in hyperspace while en-route to new orders but MacDonald had quickly pointed out that the crew had to be prepared for all circumstances.  Though the response times and performance of the crew had been adequate, he saw a definite need for improvement.  The problem, MacDonald now recognized, in taking command of a ship straight off the construction lines was that the crew was new to the ship and needed time to adjust to the ship.

            The crew of the _Victory_ had been put together from the best the Army of Light and the Rangers had to offer.  Though the crew was the best he could have, they were still unfamiliar with this class of ship, despite being trained in numerous simulations and on the ship itself.  MacDonald knew the unfamiliarity would disappear with time.  It was time however that it seemed they were running short of.

            After reviewing and signing off on the reports, MacDonald had spent the next several minutes pacing about his quarters, doing the one thing he was trying not to do.  For a brief, fleeting moment, he debated placing a call to Julia on Babylon 5 to see if she had any new information that would be useful but dismissed the idea when he took note of the time, knowing she would most likely be asleep at this hour.  Taking another pause from his pacing, MacDonald again looked at his desk clock.  Seven hours remained until they would reach what he had aptly termed the staging area.

            The Captain was on the verge of giving sleep another try, having exhausted all other possibilities when his link chimed.  Realizing he did not have it on his wrist, the Captain scrambled through the mass of papers and trinkets on his desk to find the continuous noise.  Finally locating it, buried beneath his battle drill reports, he grabbed and toggled it.  "MacDonald."

            "Sorry to wake you sir," apologized Commander Connor MacKenzie, apparently believing MacDonald to have been asleep.  "But we're getting a signal in from the Blue Stars, you really should see this sir."

            MacDonald needed to hear nothing else, MacDonald was already getting in to uniform before MacKenzie had finished speaking, doing so at the first mention of a report from their ships.  He informed the Commander, as he was placing on his black shirt, that they would meet in the conference room in five minutes.  Now perhaps he would get his first look at the enemy.

***

            Commander Connor MacKenzie stood, motionless, studying the digital images they had just received.  The screen in front of him was flooded with a great deal of information as a live video feed as well as sensor data was relayed from the three scout ships that had jumped ahead of the rest of the Alliance battle group.  Their orders had been to search the sector where the Seventh Fleet was lost as well as the surrounding areas, Captain MacDonald believing they could locate the attackers in such a manner.  It seemed, from all MacKenzie saw, the Captain was right.

            The door slid open with a slight _swoosh_ as Captain Edward MacDonald flew through it.  MacKenzie looked at his Captain's face, recognizing immediately that he was fatigued.  He knew the Captain well enough to know he had been awake since he went off duty, likely spending the time thinking and worrying about their current situation.  He chose to skip directly to making his report on the information they had received.

            "This is what we're getting," MacKenzie said, pointing a single extended finger to the screen as Captain MacDonald slid into a position on his left, looking immediately at the screen.  The display showed a large central image with a real-time visual feed from one of the Blue Stars, surrounded by several smaller boxes displaying information from various sensor recordings and scans the scout ships were performing.

            "They've detected what appears to be a staging area of sorts," MacKenzie continued his report, pointing out the central image.  "There is a large star base in this system, Blue Star 209 reports that the hull is comprised of some sort of alloy they've never seen before but they were able to adjust their sensors to penetrate it.  They've detected what appears to be a pretty sizeable command and control package, a hefty defense grid and supplies enough for an entire fleet.  Given the proximity –"

            "We can conclude this is where the attack on the Seventh Fleet originated."  MacDonald finished his XO's sentence.  He stared at the massive shape that dominated the screen in front of him.  The alien space station was long, rectangular with pointed triangular ends and covered in a series of bumps and ridges along what MacDonald speculated to be the top.  The hull was a dark gray; it would have been barely visible against the dark star field if not for the blue, white and purple lights that dotted its exterior.  The only other lighting across the hull was that from the glow of starship and fighter engines as they passed across the station, accenting the features of the mammoth base.

Though the design was unfamiliar, MacDonald was still able to pick out some key sections of the station or at least what he believed to be those key sections.  He picked out a quite obvious command and control, located in a disk shaped structure, slightly extending from and overshadowing the rest of the superstructure.  He also identified what appeared to be twenty-eight starship-docking tendrils; long strips extending from the sides of the station, though most appeared empty, he counted three ships, most likely destroyers or some other form of escort ship from their size, birthed at the docking area.  The destroyers were elongated, resembling three double-pronged daggers placed together in a triangular pattern.  He was further able to pick out what he believed to be six fighter launch bays, similar in design to those used on his ship, as they deployed a flight of tiny dagger fighters into space.  The Captain speculated that, whoever this race was, they designed their ships to resemble some sort of primitive bladed weaponry, likely from their planets history.  The other ships surrounding the station seemed to be some sort of a heavy combat vessel, similar in size to the White Stars, MacDonald surmised basing his estimates off the size of their fighters, and looking something like an insect but sharing a similar dagger-like design with the other ships he had seen.

"They haven't been spotted yet?"  MacDonald shifted gears away from his analysis of the base and to his other responsibility as the Captain of a battle group, to make decisions to keep the ships and crews under his command safe.

"They've taken up a position on the outer edge of the system," MacKenzie answered with a shake of his head.  "Ranger Baccus reports that they don't appear to be able to see through the Minbari stealth fields on the Blue Stars, based on the fact that they haven't yet taken any hostile actions towards them."  MacKenzie did find himself curious as to if they had actually not been noticed or if the enemy had simply not acted upon their incursion.

Now that his mind was at ease on that matter, MacDonald returned to studying the images in front of him.  If he was correct in assuming that Jerry Barnes was positioning the _Victory_ and two other destroyer groups for a strike against this new race, in response to the destruction of the Seventh Fleet, this would be a tempting target for such an attack.  "There's not much of a defensive fleet," MacDonald said, pointing out to MacKenzie the three destroyers, two groups of six attack ships and the fighters as they soared past the station.  "The ships that destroyed the Seventh Fleet have probably withdrawn, leaving the base, thinking that we won't be so quick to launch an attack against them."  Though he knew it was conjecture, Commander MacKenzie was consistently impressed with how easily and often accurately Captain MacDonald could describe a tactical situation.

"The Blue Stars estimate two squadrons of these attack ships in addition to the three destroyers and an unknown number of fighters that could be deployed from the station and the capital ships."  MacKenzie cocked his head slightly; looking into his Captain's face and knowing without question what he was thinking.  "Plus we have no idea of knowing what kind of defensive weapons that station has."

MacDonald was aware of the risks his XO had observed but those would not discourage him.  "Tell the Blue Stars to continue monitoring for another two hours but not to give away their presence, we don't want the enemy to know we're watching; they're to head back if they believe to be in danger of getting detected."  He turned his head away from the map screen and to the Commander who met his gaze.  "Then I need to speak with the Captains of the _Lancelot _and the _Aragorn_ immediately."  The other two Victory class destroyers being deployed to the area were not far behind his command and they would be instrumental in his plan.

"Should I get Admiral Barnes on the comm. also?"  MacKenzie asked, knowing the Admiral would need to give the final authorization for any sort of an attack.

"Not yet," MacDonald answered without any thought on the matter.  He knew Barnes would not want to be contacted until they had gathered further information on the target and would have a plan of action to suggest.  "Not until the Blue Stars finish their recon and we have a preliminary attack plan in place."

"So you are planning to attack?"  MacKenzie stated the obvious.

"I'm planning to blow them out of the sky," MacDonald answered dryly, already proceeding on his way out of the map room.  "I'll be in my office, transfer Captains Lemay and Whitfield there when you have them."

MacKenzie watches as the Captain left and toggled his link on.  "XO to bridge."

********************

WHITE STAR 67; UNINHABITTED SYSTEM  
 JANUARY 7, 2272, 03:42 EST 

********************

            With the full strength of the Narn fleet bearing down on his and thirty-eight other Anla'Shok commands, Greg Giovoni's composure did not fail nor did his resolve to end this situation without having to resort to firing.  That of course, all rested in the hands of Jerry Barnes and whatever it was he was planning.  As he watches the Narn fleet grow in size through the forward view ports of the White Star, an alarm sounded on the station to his left.  He knew, without having to hear the report from his Ranger that it was the indication of the Narn fleet powering their weapons and locking on to the Alliance ships.

"Val'Na, receiving a tachyon-enhanced transmission from Babylon 5, being sent to us and the Narn fleet," the Ranger on his left reported, wiping the sweat from his forehead, moments after the Narn fleet locked their weapons against the Ranger warships.  Giovoni nodded a silent order to receive and monitor the signal.

The face of Admiral Barnes, alert and carrying all the authority of his command, appeared on the screens of every Narn and Ranger ship as the former continued to draw closer to the ladder, into killing range.  "This is Admiral Jerry Barnes, Supreme Commander of the Army of Light to Narn fleet, on authority granted to me by the Interstellar Alliance Council and President Sheridan, I am ordering you to stand down at once and prepare to be escorted away from Centauri territory."  Barnes' voice, presenting a great assurance, helped to further the bluff he had just put into play regarding the state of his authority in this situation.

"Warleader Na'Goth of the NRS _R'Tal_ to Admiral Barnes," the Narn hissed, his voice seeping with disgust at this disruption to his plans, his response quickly following Barnes' initial statement.  Though his hate for Barnes and lessened greatly over the years, he still had no particular like for the man.  "You have no authority at present to command the Narn fleet and we will not be dissuaded from our path.  Given the odds of the situation, I would suggest that your ships stand down and withdraw before I am forced to destroy them."  Na'Goth spoke with arrogance, one that he could be awarded given the odds with which the Rangers were faced.  "I cannot believe you would order so many people to die in such a foolish effort to stop us."

"You expect me to believe you would fire on ships from the White Star Fleet?"  Barnes quickly countered.  His composure did not falter when faced with the fast debate from Na'Goth.  He seemed more than prepared for the verbal battle in which he was now engaged.  "Those ships out there aren't your enemies Na'Goth, I'm not your enemy, the Alliance is not your enemy and the Centauri Republic –"

"Is my enemy!"  Na'Goth fired back.  "They have been my enemy since before I could walk.  I have wanted to kill them since before I was old enough to pickup a blade.  I learned to kill them before I learned to walk.  They have tortured me, my world, my people for countless years and now, I finally have the opportunity to strike back against them and it is an opportunity I will not be denied.  Not by you."

"Think about what you're doing here Na'Goth," Barnes replied quickly, still convinced he could talk Na'Goth into stand down his fleet.  "If you attack the Centauri, though it might take them some time, they will retaliate.  If you fire on the White Stars, the Alliance will retaliate.  No matter what you do and how many ships you have, the Narn Regime can't fight both the Alliance and the Centauri Republic on two fronts.  You're throwing yourself into a war you can't win Na'Goth but there is still a chance to stop what you've started.  Stand down your forces now and we can still walk away from this without anyone having to die."

"We are not your enemy Admiral," Na'Goth pleaded, feeling the pressure brought by the Admiral's threat.  "The Centauri are, they have proven it time and time again through their actions.  They refused to lift a hand when the Drahk attacked your world; they did nothing while Shadow-tech warships brought fear to the Alliance.  We stood by your side through all of these conflicts.  I do not want to fight you Admiral and I won't unless I am forced to do so but I will not be stopped from taking my vengeance on the Centauri and if that means going through your ships, so be it."

"Then attack the White Stars Na'Goth," as Giovoni listened, he was taken aback by the challenge to the Narn Warleader.  He had not expected Barnes to be so direct in his efforts to stop Na'Goth.  Everything he knew about the Admiral indicated he would have continued in his efforts to convince Na'Goth the whole of the galaxy would be against him if he continued on his path to attack the Centauri.  He had not expected Barnes to defy Na'Goth to attack their ships.  Given his current position, Giovoni was not certain he agreed with Barnes' decision.

Na'Goth paused, his guard thrown off for the first time by the Admiral's words, not knowing how to reply without backing down or attacking the Alliance ships.  "Do not dare me to Admiral!  Your ships will be destroyed, your crews will die."

            "Yes they will," Barnes agreed, nodding his head and not wasting time trying to debate something there was no logic in doing so.  "But you know the capabilities of the White Star Fleet Na'Goth.  Before those ships are lost, they'll inflict a good deal of damage, enough to slow your ships down until more White Stars can arrive.  Then once you destroy those, they'll have slowed you down enough for more to arrive and them more."  Barnes spoke with a fire and passion in his voice that further emphasized to Na'Goth the simple truth that the White Star Fleet would never surrender, no matter how great the obstacle they faced.  "And even if you manage to destroy every one of our ships that arrives, the Centauri will have taken note of all this fighting along their border and they'll send their own fleet in.  By that time your fleet will have taken a lot of damage and the Centauri will cease the opportunity to finally be rid of the threat of the Narn fleet.  They may even take the opportunity to march straight to your home world and with your fleet in ruins; there will be little to oppose them.  Is that what you want Na'Goth?"  Barnes voice flared to its peak intensity as he further challenged the Narn Warleader.  "Do you want the Regime to fall and your world to come under Centauri rule yet again?  Because that's what is going to happen if you fire on our ships and the only way you're leaving that system is to destroy those White Stars!  If that's what you want Na'Goth then open fires on our ships, otherwise, stand down!"

There was silence, from Barnes, Na'Goth and the White Star Fleet as the Warleader contemplated his options, spelled out for him clearly by Admiral Barnes.  As they listened to the emptiness that now filled the open communications channel, the crews of the Narn and Alliance ships, their weapons trained on each other, could do nothing but wait.  Fingers hovered nervously over the controls that would unleash volleys of energy weapons against their adversaries.

Natalie Johnson breathed deeply, taking advantage of meditation techniques to calm herself, closing her eyes momentarily but allowing them to pop open every few seconds to check for any new developments.  She had no idea what the outcome of this standoff would be, with everything now resting in the hands of the Narn Warleader.  She thought about her crew, about how they may never see their families and friends again.  Though she did not have to worry about family, she could not help but wonder if she would ever see Nerol again.  He was the closest friend and the closest person to family she had in her life.

Greg Giovoni could not blink and was applying a great deal of energy to keeping his composure as he watched the Narn fleet whose advance had halted as they entered optimum firing range.  He was prepared, if necessary, to die in defense of the Alliance.  His service to the Rangers had lasted now over twelve years and he had never been afraid of giving his life and though he did not fear death, nor did he want to die.  Gazing at the Narn fleet and waiting for a response from Na'Goth, a response that would come in one of two forms, Giovoni felt helpless, knowing he could do nothing except continue to renew his faith that Admiral Barnes had made the right decision in forcing Na'Goth to this showdown.

"Remind me Admiral," Na'Goth's reply finally came, his voice having lost its fire, sounding as though he had been broken, a sound that did not cause any among the Army of Light ships to relax their guard in the least.  Giovoni took a breath and held it as he waited out the short pause Na'Goth had taken.  "Never to play the human game of chess with you."  The explanation of his statement, obvious to some, came seconds later as the _R'Tal_ issued orders to the rest of the Narn ships to power down their weapons.

Barnes, taking first a moment to be relieved and looking off screen to order Vice Admiral Taylor to contact the President on Minbar, returned to looking at the screen and addressing Na'Goth, his face not hiding the fact he was pleased by Na'Goth's decision.  "The White Stars will escort you about half the way back to Narn."

"Understood," Na'Goth answered, submitting to the Admiral's wishes.  The transmission ended after the two had exchanged final words and the Narn ships began falling into formation with the White Stars.  Na'Goth dropped his head into his hands, angered at his defeat.  Though he had known his offensive would have eventually ended, either due to pressure from the Alliance or resistance from the Centauri, the fact that he had not even been granted the opportunity to launch it did not sit well with him and would not please the Kha'Ri who had been resistant to his plan since he had first proposed it.  His eyes looking up at the screen, head still in his hands, and watching his ships and the White Stars preparing to depart from the system, he vowed that this would not be his last fight.  He knew now, his future moves would require more planning.  Listening to Ranger Giovoni give the order to jump, Na'Goth allowed himself a whisper.  "Until next time Admiral Barnes."  He promised himself there would be a next time.

********************

WAR ROOM; BABYLON 5  
 JANUARY 7, 2272, 03:51 EST 

********************

            The faces of Na'Goth, Giovoni and Johnson disappeared from the monitors in the war room as the communication channel was closed.  Barnes, exhausted from his lack of sleep and his exchange with Na'Goth collapsed into the closest chair at the circular table.  Julia Rourke did the same as did Taylor, after reporting he had made contact with the President and that he seemed satisfied with the outcome of the situation.  Though more than content with the crisis being resolved, Barnes was still shaken that the Narns had chosen to so blatantly defy the authority of the Interstellar Alliance and launch an unprovoked attack.  It was something he, Taylor and Rourke all knew they would have to keep an eye on.

Along with the Narn situation, the circumstances of the loss of the Seventh Fleet crept back to the forefront of their minds.  News would be coming in from their ships at anytime and the decision they made could change the course of the galaxy for good or ill.

"First crisis averted Jerry," Julia finally spoke up as she slid her elbows onto the table, transferring the weight of her upper body to them, her blue turtleneck and brown sports coat slightly wrinkling in the process of doing so.  It was not often she would use his first name except in the private meetings between the three of them but Barnes did not care by this point, having more important things on his mind and knowing the younger officers on his staff and in the war room would never attempt to follow her example.

"For now at least," Taylor cynically added.  "It wouldn't be in our best interests to think that Na'Goth is going to abandon his plans of invading the Centauri.  I doubt we've seen the last of him."

"But at least we've bought ourselves some time," Barnes replied.  Time was the one thing that always seemed to be in great demand but short supply, especially in the case of the Army of Light and its commanding officers.  "Time in which we can turn our attention to larger concerns."  They both knew what the Admiral was referring to.  The situation with the Narns was a distraction to the real danger with which they were faced, a distraction that could prove to be costly.

Julia looked at the time, displayed on a digital clock above the central map.  "The _Victory_ is due to check in at 0800.  I'm sure by now Mac has sent scouts ahead and has some sort of information for us."  Barnes gave her a slightly quizzical look as she referred to Captain MacDonald by an old Academy nickname.  Though he was aware of the two of them slowing overcoming their misgiving about each other, he had never heard Julia refer to the Captain in such an affable manner.  He dropped his suspicions however, dismissing them as trivial.

"Let's all get a few hours sleep, reconvene in my office at 0730."  Barnes, Taylor and Rourke all stood from the table.  Leaving the war room, the Admiral and his staff were met by congratulations and other words of praise from the officer manning the room in regards to their quick handling of the Narn situation.  Though it was so, Barnes did not believe his contest with Na'Goth to have been a true test of his abilities to command the Army of Light and keep the Alliance at peace.  He felt that test was still to come and that it would be far more difficult.

***

            The short walk from the lift to his quarters had worn down the remaining amounts of energy in Jerry Barnes' body.  He wanted nothing more than to be rid of his uniform for the evening and collapse into bed.  For a fleeting moment, he felt the need to scold himself for being so exhausted after having been awake for slightly less than twenty-four hours.  He remembered, only a few years prior, when he had been in command of the _Dark Thunder_ when he would often spend two and at times three days awake and still feel as though he had enough energy to last for a greater amount of time.  He considered that his retirement from Earth Force, position as a military advisor to President Sheridan and subsequent position as commander of the Army of Light had made him slightly spoiled to being allowed normal sleeping hours.  He also gave consideration that his forty plus years were beginning to catch up with him.

Quickly returning the dutiful salute given by the two black-armored security guards at the door and stepping into his darkened quarters, he wasted no time in peeling off his shirt and discarding it to the customary place on the floor.  Plopping down on his bed, the Admiral removed his boots, placing them on the floor next to the closest nightstand where he placed his link.  Readying himself for the few hours of sleep he would be privy to this morning, he remembered Elizabeth.  Knowing her as he did, she would no doubt be concerned, wondering if Barnes had managed to resolve whatever it was that abruptly called him away from their dinner.

It would be too early to call her now, Barnes decided, approaching the BabCom terminal.  He told the computer to record a time-delayed message for Captain Elizabeth Lochley, to be delivered at 0630 Hrs. this morning, about the time she would be starting her day.  His message was short, to the point, apologizing again for having to walk out on her, telling her they had resolved the problem and that he would tell her more about it later in the day, that there was a bit too much to be said over a recorded message.

As the Admiral finally lay in bed, close to conceding to the weariness that had fallen over him, he could not help but think about her.  When they were together, she brought such a needed peace to his life, even when he thought about her; it put his mind at ease.  The one thing that weighed heavier on his mind was the responsibilities of his office.  With those in mind, he wondered it was possible for him and Elizabeth to ever have a real future together.

            He fell asleep.

********************

NRS _R'TAL_; HYPERSPACE  
 JANUARY 7, 2272, 07:19 EST 

********************

            "White Star 67 to NRS _R'Tal_, Alliance ships are terminating escorts and returning to our patrol assignments."  The voice of Greg Giovoni reported.  The crew of the NRS _R'Tal_ along with the rest of the Narn ships all watched in silence as the small group of Alliance White Stars and cruisers broke formation with the Narn ships and disappeared into hyperspace.

            Na'Goth was a statue, not having moved from his spot on the bridge since their confrontation with the Alliance ships and Admiral Barnes hours before.  Each defeat he endured at the hands of Jerry Barnes scarred him and tortured his soul.  The human and those who served him consistently displayed the ability to outmaneuver and outsmart him and with each time, it became increasingly exasperating.  He would have to be more cautious in his planning next time, more meticulous in predicting the unexpected.

            Along with the Warleader, the crews of the fleet felt their defeat.  Na'Goth's plan had been long in development and they had felt the anticipation of battle growing with each day of preparation and now they could not help but feel let down.  From birth, every Narn was taught to hate the Centauri; even those born after the end of the war were taught of the crimes they had committed against their people.  As such, their military was trained to kill the Centauri and the loss of such an opportunity was unbearable.  Na'Goth's decision to stand down their forces instead of firing on the White Star Fleet was met with a immense protest from his fleet commanders as well as the bridge crew of the _R'Tal_ itself.  They were young and did not realize that Barnes had not bluffed regarding the implications their attack against the Centauri would carry.  Still, he could offer no blame for their need to experience the glory and thrill of battle.

            An all too familiar sensor alert sounded at the tactical station.  Na'Goth turned his head slightly to the direction as his tactical officer gave the report.  "Warleader, sensors are detecting several dozen contacts converging on us from three directions.  The _G'Tok_ and the _Maleek_ both confirm our readings."

            "Number and type of contacts?"  Na'Goth asked with a newly renewed vigor.  The first thought occurring to him that Centauri ships could have been following them, waiting for the White Stars to depart before they struck.  He was determined to find out if indeed it was the Centauri trying to sneak up on them from the depths of hyperspace.

            With a fury, the Narn tapped a series of controls, enhancing their sensors to a higher resolution and locking in on the approaching ships.  "One-hundred-eleven ships sir.  Unknown configuration, judging by their size, it appears to be one-hundred-ten fast attack ships and one larger cruiser class vessel."  Another, louder alert sounded at the station.  "Detecting energy spikes from the ships Warleader, they may be charging weapons."

            A blaring alarm sounded from another station as a series of orange digital lights began flashing on the bridge.  The Narn quickly checked his sensor display to ascertain the nature of the alert.  "Warleader!  Detecting powerful sensors coming from the attack ships, it looks like they've locked onto us."

            "Another energy spike sir, they may be preparing to fire!"

            "Battle alert!"  Na'Goth ordered as a series of klaxon alarms rang throughout the _R'Tal_, summoning its crew to their battle stations.  "All ships battle alert."  Na'Goth stood, making his way across the bridge with great speed to the tactical station where he continued to issue orders for the defense grid to be activated and the main weapon systems charged.  As it came in that the remainder of the fleet was prepared to engage, Na'Goth was thrown from his feet and across the bridge by a violent shock.  Na'Goth knew well before his tactical officer reported it that the unidentified ships had opened fire.

            Through the forward view port, Na'Goth watched a dozen of the dagger attack ships fly over the hull of the _R'Tal_ and continue their attacks against the remainder of his fleet.  Their attack were ones of deadly efficiency, scoring hits with a single beam weapon projected from their nose and moving quickly, avoiding most of the defensive fire from the slower Narn warships.  Na'Goth grabbed the arm of his chair and pulled himself to his feet.  The _R'Tal_ had not taken a bad hit, merely one that had shaken and slowed it.  "Activate energy mines," the Warleader ordered.  "Target the center cluster of their ships, order cruiser squadron four to do the same.  Launch fighters, order them to engage at will, have escort wings three and eight drive as many of their ships as possible into range of the energy mines.  All other ships, take targets of opportunity and fire at will."

            Na'Goth's orders were quickly relayed to the remainder of the fleet and the Narns quickly became organized in their response to the attack against them.  Dozens of Frazi heavy fighters and escort ships opened fire with pulse cannons, scoring several hits and five kills against the hostile attack ships, driving them to an open center area in the middle of the Narn fleet.  Heavy cruisers opened fire with lasers, scoring six more kills and further driving thirty of the attack ships to where the Warleader wanted them.

            A luminous explosion lit the bridge of the _R'Tal_ as the reactor of a nearby cruiser went critical, destroying the ship in a vibrant explosion.  The tactical officer rattled off the names of the eighteen ships that had been lost, also advising the Warleader that only the enemy attack ships were engaged in the battle, the larger cruiser was standing by just outside of their weapons ranger.  Na'Goth, choosing not to be concerned with the cruiser at this point in the contest, continued with his direction of the battle against the attack ships.  Twenty-one had been destroyed and thirty-six were now directly in the firing arcs of energy mines from his and a dozen other ships.  He could see no better opportunity than the one with which he currently had.

            "Launch energy mines!"

            Glowing balls of white energy shot forth, detonating in the center of the regrouping attack ships, destroying fifteen, those closest to the center and damaging the others.  The Narn fleet, regrouping into an attack formation with fighters providing a better screen against the attack ships, advanced on the enemy, lasers, pulse cannons and plasma cannons firing.  The Narn fleet lost ten more cruisers as fourteen more enemy ships fell.  As the Narn fleet, under Na'Goth's direction, began to encircle the outnumbered enemy fleet, the attack ships, using their superior speed, maneuverability and sustained bursts from their aft beam weapons, broke off their attack and fled away from the Narn warships, quickly disappearing into the red and black void.

            "Hostile ships have broken off, withdrawing from the area.  Do we pursue?"  The tactical officer asked frantically.  The _R'Tal_ had taken three more hits during the battle, causing minor damage to their drive systems and defense grid.  More damage was done to the crew however, as they watched many of their friends fall in the other ships, having been the victims of a sneak attack.  They wanted the blood of their attackers now that they were on the run.

            "No," Na'Goth said softly, coming to an understanding of what had just happened here.  As he watched the hostile ships disappearing, it suddenly became quite clear what the enemy commander had planned with this attack.

            "Warleader!"  The tactical officer raised his voice in protest.  "We were attacked!  They are on the run!  We must give chase!"  Na'Goth understood his feelings, knowing that his desire for battle and the brief taste he was just given was clouding his mind, not allowing him to see clearly what the Warleader could.

            "That wasn't an attack," Na'Goth commented, settling back into his chair.  He switched subjects, giving the order to power down weapons and defenses and continue on course for Narn.  As he watched hyperspace move around him, wondering who the attackers were and where they had came from, he whispered; "It was a test."

***

            The bridge was dark, black, the lights dimmed when they entered battle mode.  He stalked the bridge, his eyes all the while focused on the sensor display.  The Narns had acted predictably, as had the Earth Alliance.  Watching the Narn ships continue on their path, he applauded himself on another successful test.

To be continued … in Chapter Four where two old friends return, enemies continue their opening moves and Admiral Barnes faces three challenges, in stopping a raider attack, preparing for his ceremony and selling President Sheridan on a reprisal attack.  Meanwhile, Zack Allan continues his investigation with unexpected results.


	5. Chapter Four

**************** CHAPTER FOUR ******************

BABYLON 5; ADMIRAL BARNES' OFFICE  
 JANUARY 8, 2272, 08:35 EST 

********************

            Sitting in his office, waiting for the meeting he was quite certain was going to be a difficult one, Jerry Barnes was sure of one thing, this day was going to be hell.  Though he was least looking forward to his ceremony, scheduled to begin at 1900 this evening, the other item on his itinerary was not something he was anticipating with any sort of eagerness.  President Sheridan, who had arrived on the station from Minbar only minutes before, was on his way to meet with the Admiral to discuss what in the day before, Barnes, Taylor and Rourke had code-named 'Operation Broken-Dagger", a retaliatory strike conceived by Captain MacDonald against the space station where they believed the attack on the Seventh Fleet to have originated from.

            The day prior to this, following what was now being affectionately termed the Narn crisis, had been relatively uneventful though devoid of any calamity of its own.  The day had started as many normally did, with a dreadful sounding wakeup alarm sounding, him rolling out of bed and quickly finding the way to a hot shower, wishing it could do something to wash away the fatigue and the concerns the previous day had brought.  After a shower, longer than his norm, he dressed in a clean uniform and proceeded to another, surely long, day of work.

            His first morning meeting, taking place almost immediately upon his arrival at his office, was with Vice Admiral Taylor and Assistant Director Rourke during which, Captain Edward MacDonald contacted them with his status report.  He notified them of their locating of a space station where, given the location, the attack on the Seventh Fleet was likely to have staged from.  He also reported that, after consultation with Captains Lemay and Whitfield, he had drawn up a preliminary attack plan.  Barnes had ordered him to continue conducting drills in preparation for an attack, to check in at regular intervals and that he would get back to him with an order as soon as possible.

            Before he and his staff had the opportunity to analyze the plan and further debate the possible implications of an attack, they received a transmission from Warleader Na'Goth, much to each of their surprise.  He did not speak of the events that had transpired only hours before but instead reported that, while en-route back to Narn, shortly after the White Stars had departed, his fleet had been attacked by an unknown force.  He told them the complete story of how he was engaged by several squadrons of attack ships while a cruiser watched from a distance and how he was able to drive the attack force back, losing over twenty cruisers in the process.  Barnes had asked for his sensor data on the hostile ships, which confirmed that, whoever they were, it was the same race that had attacked the Seventh Fleet and that MacDonald now had his sights on.

            It also gave them some insight as to the type of forces the enemy had and their attack strategies.  In both instances where they had engaged Alliance fleets, they had used significant numbers of their attack ships quickly strike at the larger capital ships, disabling critical system and using their maneuverability to dodge defensive fire.  The attack on the Seventh Fleet showed these ships complimented by various types of cruisers destroyers and squadrons of heavy fighters.  During this battle, the attack ships and fighters had first damaged the capital ships, removing significant weapon and defensive systems, allowing their cruisers and destroyers to make the final kill.  Unfortunately, aside from being able to easily tell their ships were armed with powerful weapons, it told them little else about this new foe.

            After Barnes and Na'Goth speculating as to why the enemy had abruptly withdrawn, Na'Goth suspecting they were merely testing the response from the Narns, the conversation had ended with Barnes promising to share any new information with Na'Goth and the Warleader promising to do the same.  Na'Goth also told Barnes that this would not be the last time they saw this enemy, they were only beginning to move.

            Barnes, Taylor and Rourke had then taken to ironing out and making minor changes to the attack plan submitted by Captain MacDonald.  Though it was simple in its design, the three concurred that it would get the job done and get most of their ships out safely.  With MacDonald needing another day for the other two destroyers to arrive and to conduct another series of battle drills, Barnes concluded that it would be better to wait for President Sheridan to arrive on the station and seek approval from him in person, the President having to give the attack order before they could make any sort of a strike.  Though Barnes had the authority to order limited actions without the President's approval, an act that could lead them to a war was something he definitely wanted the go ahead from Sheridan on.

            Concluding their meeting, the Admiral had directed Julia to begin establishing a database of all information they had on the enemy, their ships, and weapons, to try and organize the information they currently had in an easily accessible and easy to update form.  Saying she would get right on it, he ordered Vice Admiral Taylor to meet with military leaders from the Minbari, Drazi, Narns, Brakiri, Vree and Earth Alliance who had already arrived on the station for the ceremony in an effort to establish a coordinated border defense initiative along what they projected to be the border of enemy territory, wanting to be as prepared as possible if they decided to launch anymore attacks.

            This meeting was followed by working through a small stack of paperwork he had dismissed earlier but now saw an urgency to take care of.  First and foremost was the order giving final approval for crews to be assigned to the newest waves of White Stars, cruisers and destroyers that were entering the final stages of constructions, allowing crews to be assigned to begin training duties.  He had the feeling that they may soon need as many ships and able crews as possible.  The rest was minor but he took the time to be rid of it.

            His first half of the day had been rounded out by a conversation with Generals Pack and McDouglass, on their way to Babylon 5 onboard the EAS _Smith_, an armed transport vessel, followed by a short but none-the-less enjoyable lunch with Captain Lochley.  He had brought the two Earth Force Generals up to date on the information they had gathered regarding the loss of the Seventh Fleet, which was not much considering he neglected to mention the _Victory_'s discovery of the space station, figuring he would save that information for when and if President Sheridan approved the attack.  He had taken advantage of his lunch with Elizabeth to fill her in on the Narn situation from the previous night and to tell her of the space station discovered by Captain MacDonald.  When she asked what he was planning to do, Barnes replied, "I don't know."  Knowing that, as greatly as he wanted, he could not tell her everything, some things still had to be kept secret.

            The rest of his day was filled by a series of meetings, including two more with Taylor and Rourke, conversations with the heads of construction at each of their shipyards, a meeting with Ambassador Ta'Lon, discussing the situation with Na'Goth and the attack on their fleet and finally, a pizza in his quarters as he reviewed the sensor logs sent from Earth Force HQ of the Seventh Fleet's last stand and those Na'Goth had sent of the attack against his fleet.  He replayed each several times throughout the night, trying to get a better feel for the strategy these aliens employed.

            Today had begun with an early morning planning session between him, Rourke and Taylor in the war room where the forwarded the revised attack plan to Captain MacDonald and told for him to be ready for a decision from the President within a few hours and to continue conducting drills in preparation for an attack.  They also discussed the status of the defenses being deployed along what they simply called hostile territory, wanting to have as many ships in place as possible if the enemy decided to come screaming across the border.

            After their meeting, the three of them joined Captain Lochley, Zack Allan, Ambassador Ta'Lon and a more than healthy contingent of reporters in greeting President Sheridan and Delenn as they arrived at Babylon 5 onboard White Star Prime, the White Star designated as the transport for the President and the first family of the Alliance.  Barnes almost immediately pulled the President aside and told him he needed to speak with him in private, that they had urgent business to discuss relating to the loss of the Seventh Fleet.  Sheridan said they would meet in the Admiral's office as soon as he and Delenn were settled in.

            Now, the Admiral waited for the President to arrive.  He had known Sheridan for more than nine years and had worked closely with him for four but he still could not predict how the President would react when presented with certain situations, part of the reason Barnes had refrained from briefing the President on their new information before he arrived on the station.

            The door to his office slid open, Barnes reacting by springing from his desk, snapping immediately to attention and saluting the President as he walked in.  Sheridan raised his hand to his gray head of hair, returning the salute.  "At ease," the President commanded.  Barnes motioned to a chair in front of his desk, asking the President to sit as he did the same.

            "So, Admiral," Sheridan began, wasting no time with pleasantries as he knew Barnes would not either.  "What's this urgent business we need to discuss?"

            Barnes indicated the monitor on the wall behind him as he keyed a code into the control panel on his desk; Sheridan turned and watched the screen.  The Interstellar Alliance emblem appeared against a black background with white text printed across the screen reading: _IAS Victory  - Sensor Feed: 2272.01.07.0358 – Security Classification: Ultraviolet_.  The image disappeared after ten seconds, long enough for Sheridan to read the full text and was replaced by a picture of the massive space station.  "Yesterday morning, scout ships dispatched by Captain MacDonald detected this space station near the area where the Seventh Fleet was lost.  Around it, they've detected several ships, the same configuration as some of those that destroyed the Seventh Fleet.  We believe this to have been the base where the attack on the Seventh Fleet originated.  The defenses around the station, as far as the _Victory_ can tell, consist of three destroyers, several groups of attack ships and sizeable fighter screen deployed from the station."  Barnes keyed another code into the control panel, Sheridan continuing to watch the screen with interest.

            The image on the screen again changed to a series of tactical maps with the words, '_ISA Classified Document 03827183 – Operation Broken Dagger_' printed across them, the text soon faded and the screen focused on the series of maps, Sheridan recognizing what they were all too well.  "We've prepared an attack plan," Barnes continued his briefing as Sheridan leaned forward, studying the maps as each appeared on the screen.  "Making use of three of our destroyers groups, the _Victory_, the _Lancelot_ and the _Aragorn_ along with two Earth Force Warlock destroyers, the _Curunir _and the _Mithrandir_ that are due to arrive by 1700 today.  The basic concept of the plan, as you can see, is to hit them in multiple waves, overwhelming them with superior numbers and firepower."  Barnes realized, at that point, the irony of the plan as they had used a very similar method against the Seventh Fleet.  He looked into the President's eyes, knowing that Sheridan already understood why they were having this meeting without Barnes having to say it.

            "Mr. President, I'll make this short and simple, I want authority to attack, in response to the destruction of the Earth Seventh Fleet and to the attack on the Narns."

            "The Narns?"  Sheridan asked inquisitively with attentiveness in his voice, his head snapping back to Barnes from the monitor.

            Barnes suddenly remembered, he hadn't yet told the President about that, it being among the items he planned to brief him on when he arrived on the station for which he saw no better time than now to do so.  "As they were returning to Narn, Warleader Na'Goth's forces were attacked by ships with the same configurations as those at the space station and those that destroyed the Seventh Fleet.  Na'Goth had superior numbers to the attack fleet and was able to drive them off but not before losing more than two-dozen cruisers in the process.  We've had ships scouring all of Narn territory but haven't found any sign of the fleet that attacked them."

            Sheridan gave a sigh of frustration.  Not from just learning of the attack against the Narns when the Alliance had the information for more than a day but frustration from the prospect of going into another war if he approved Admiral Barnes' plan.  He knew he couldn't refuse the request but also did not want to sanction it.  "We're not even sure what type of defenses that thing has, we could be sending them into a deathtrap."

            "There's no guarantees," Barnes conceded.  "I'll be the first to admit that."  It was true, they had no way of knowing what type of resistance the station and its defenders might offer to their strike force.  "But this has to be done," Barnes quickly countered.  "We have to show whoever this is that we will not back down once challenged.  Show them that we will not –"

            "—Be intimidated," Sheridan finished the Admiral's sentence with a melancholy tone to his voice, echoing a statement he had made ten years ago as a different sort of enemy targeted the Interstellar Alliance in its infant days.  Though his concern for their ships and crews was genuine, it was not the total reason for his offering some protest to Barnes' plan.  "You and I know very well what will happen if we do attack that station, whether the attack is successful or not, we'll be catapulting the Alliance into something we won't be able to stop.  If we don't attack, we might still have some time to build up our defenses if this enemy decides to come at us.  Is vengeance for the Seventh Fleet worth risking open war?"  Though Sheridan posed the question to Barnes, he had little certainty of what he believed the answer to be.  He understood the need to retaliate and to defend the Alliance but he could also not overlook the vow he had taken to do everything within his power to keep the Alliance at peace.  It was a dilemma he had been faced with more than enough times already throughout his career.  He had hoped another challenge to it would not have come so quickly.

            Barnes struggled with the question as the President looked to him for his opinion.  He understood the ramifications of the both sides of the debate; positive the President did as well, if not better than he.  "From my perspective Mr. President," Barnes began after considerable deliberation.  "Open war is inevitable.  They're testing us, preparing for something, what I can't be sure of.  If we strike or if we don't strike, they will.  The only accomplishment we can make is to strike at them and perhaps cause them to rethink their strategy.  For all we know, they could be preparing to launch a massive offensive any moment now."

            "And they still could, regardless of if we attack them or not," Sheridan refuted the point made by the Admiral.  "If they have a war plan, who's to say they'll decide to change it if we make a show of force against them?"

            It was a valid argument; Barnes could not deny that.  "If nothing else Mr. President, it will allow us to see how they react to certain movements and help us to learn more about them."  Barnes stood, placing his hands on the flat top of the desk and leaning forward, his weight upon them, meeting the President's eyes with him.  He had prepared a final argument in the event his others did not convince Sheridan.  "Sometimes, to keep the peace and to preserve lives, we have to sacrifice both and go to war.  You brought me onboard to keep the peace and to win a war if necessary.  Now give me the authority I need to do both.  By striking at them now, we send a message both to them and to our allies that we will not back down from attacks, that we will defend ourselves and that we will fight if necessary.  You know as well as I that this has to be done."

            Sheridan stood, retreating several steps back.  Though he devoted much effort to it, he could find no fault in the logic of the argument Barnes presented.  It was a difficult choice to make, the choice to send people into battle, to send some to their deaths and, in the larger scale, to send the Interstellar Alliance into another armed conflict.  His back turned to the Admiral; Sheridan took several deep breaths, knowing the Admiral's eyes were fixed on him, waiting for the decision he had to make.

            "Mr. President, time is short," Barnes pressured.

            Sheridan slowly turned, making note of the face Barnes carried, one of dutiful resolve.  It was that look that reminded the President why he had brought Jerry Barnes onboard as commander of the Army of Light, because he knew, despite their difference of opinions on some subjects, he was one of the few men who would be up to the task of defending the Alliance against any enemy that might threaten it.  With Sheridan remaining silent for several more seconds, the Admiral continued to look to him for the answer.

            A sigh, a nod, surrender.  "Attack."  The President said, his voice unsteady but nowhere in his mind a doubt that he had made the correct choice.

            Barnes assured him that he had made the right decision.  The two parted company then, as Sheridan went to take a few hours rest, weary from the trip and from the new burdens placed on him by this recent meeting while Barnes left for the war room.  Vice Admiral Taylor would be waiting to transmit the orders to the _Victory_ and Captain MacDonald would no doubt be waiting for an answer by now.

            Little did Barnes realize, years later, he would question if the President's decision had been the correct one and if the path he proposed was not the wrong one to lead the Alliance down.

********************

DARK STAR; BROWN SECTOR  JANUARY 8, 2272, 08:50 EST 

********************

**            The eyes of Zack Allan meticulously surveyed the establishment from the entryway.  The early morning crowd consisted of no more than three dozen people, all those who either had no better place to be or those who had business, usually of a shady sort, to attend to.  The small group of people, consisting of mostly humans with a few varied aliens in the mix, was quiet, attending to their drinks at the bar; most keeping themselves for company though some tables were the meeting places for groups of twos and threes.**

            It was those groups Zack was always on the watch for.  Something many hoped to accomplish by coming to an establishment such as the Dark Star so early in the day was to be left to their own business and to not be seen.  It was here where deals were made between parties whose motives in doing so were less than inline with Interstellar Alliance law.  Zack mentally ran through the list of trouble this station had seen since he had been a security officer; raiders, arms dealers, criminal syndicates, too many to count.

            These types of people were the ones the station's security chief had business with today.  One of the messages sent to Arem had indicated this establishment as a meeting place.  He had further been able to trace the second transmission to a Drazi smuggler, known to frequent the Dark Star.  After having no contact with Villak at his quarters, Zack had determined the next most logical place to search would be the Dark Star, knowing Villak had many meetings her with "clients" throughout the day.      

            Villak was not the type who wanted to be seen, nor did he want his business affairs to be noticed.  Though he played the part of the simple smuggler quite well, Villak dealt in far more than simple illegal goods.  In the last four years, Villak had been implicated thirteen times as the front man for various weapon smuggling activities that station security had put an end to.  Though they had a wealth of testimony from those they had arrested, there was still little aside from circumstantial evidence to tie Villak to the arms dealing being run from Babylon 5.

            A connection to Arem however was something Zack could easily prove.  With the transmission from Villak to Arem, Zack would have more than enough to through the Drazi off the station if he didn't cooperate and tell him what he needed to know about Arem's activities and being thrown off Babylon 5, after being connected to an accused assassin such as Arem would be a death sentence.  Villak was smart enough to realize this; Zack was counting on it.

            Despite the dim light, it did not take Zack long to locate the Drazi, sitting at a table in the back corner of the room with two humans and a Narn.  The Chief found an adjacent corner, leaned against the wall, hand resting comfortably over his PPG as he watched the meeting transpire.  The two humans were dealing with Villak, haggling over a price or means of delivery while the Narn remained quiet, likely one of Villak's bodyguards.  In all probability, there were at least two other guards stationed around the Dark Star, waiting to spring into action if Villak appeared to be in danger.

            Data crystals changed hands, first from the humans to Villak and then from Villak to the humans, who quickly left, wasting no time in casually strolling out the door.  Zack new their business was completed and it was time for his to begin.  As Villak was standing, Zack's hand landed on his shoulder, pushing him back down, prompting a deadly look from his companion.  "What's your hurry Villak?"  Zack asked, circling around so the Drazi could see him.

            "Allan," Villak hissed as his eyes met the face of the security Chief.  The last years of his life had been spent under near constant harassment from Allan and the goon squad referred to as the Babylon 5 security force.  "What can I do for you on this fine day?"  The Drazi asked, a smirk on his face, mocking the Chief.

            "You can pack up all your stuff and leave the station," Zack answered with an equally sarcastic smirk.

            "Surely, Mr. Allan, better things you have to do than harass reputable business man such as myself.  Perhaps, somewhere on station, someone you have not harassed is attempting to conduct legitimate sales."

            Zack saw his opening and attacked.  "Well then, why don't you tell me what kind of legitimate sales you made to Jack Arem and what it was that wasn't the quality he was looking for?"

            "Mr. Arem," Villak seemed to ponder the name.  "Ah yes," he pretended to remember after another moment of thought.  "He looked for a shipment of spoo, it was not of quality he desired.  I promised more but never heard from him again.  A shame, really."

            "Well then, I suppose that explains it," Zack met the increasingly annoying smile from the Drazi with one of his own.  After several seconds of the face off, Zack wasted no more time.  He moved quickly, knocking the table into the bodyguard and slamming Villak into the corner, his PPG drawn and pressed underneath his chin.  Zack's eyes flared with anger as the smug Drazi struggled against his restraint.  "Now," Zack's voice indicated clearly that he had dropped the cordial routine.  "You're going to tell me what I want to know about Arem or you're not going to be giving anyone else that irritating smile for a long time."

            Villak looked past Allan and chuckled as his first bodyguard rose to his feet, aiming his own weapon at the Chief while his other three guards swooped in, drawing their own weapons and taking aim.  Zack did not flinch, despite Villak's commands to release him, knowing the situation would soon be well in hand.

            "You are outnumbered," Villak hissed, his smile showing more than ever.

            Zack shook his head and grinned.  "Not quite."

            Exactly on time, a plethora of security officers decked in full black tactical gear stormed into the Dark Star, rifles covering the entire establishment with many trained on Villak's guards.

            "Call 'em off," Zack ordered with a grin, one not returned from Villak whose face was grim.  He motioned for his guards to lower their weapons, them doing so promptly and being taken into custody by the security team.  "Now," Zack said, pressing his weapon further against the Drazi's hard skin.  "Why don't you tell me what I need to know?"

***

            "A virus that selectively targets telepaths?"  Captain Lochley stepped back to her desk chair, sat down and turned to face Zack, who stood at the right side of her desk.  He had arrived only a minute ago, saying that he had confronted Villak about what Arem was trying to purpose and she needed to know about it.  Though it had taken some convincing, Villak admitted Arem had wanted to purchase mass quantities of this virus Lochley had never heard of before today.  Villak, unable to procure the item, substituted an inferior bio-weapon for it, hoping to get his money before Arem noticed the difference.  His ploy did not succeed and Arem soon had him attempting to procure more.

            Sitting in a chair next to Chief Allan, Admiral Jerry Barnes nodded.  "I heard rumors about something like this being developed in secret back during the Civil War."  The Admiral had arrived in Lochley's office after Chief Allan had suggested that the Captain call him here as well to here what he had to report, thinking that Barnes may have some insight to the nature of what Arem was attempting to acquire.  "Rumor was the Psi Corps seized it along with all design documents on it and killing the scientists who worked to create it."

            "And it was never heard of again?"  Lochley asked, crossing her hands in front of her as she listened to the brief lesson in the darker side of Earth's history.

            "Not entirely," Barnes said grimly.  As were many subjects, this was one from his past he had wanted to keep buried.  "During the Telepath War, when I was onboard the _Dark Thunder_, we heard rumors of a renegade Corps scientist who had the formula for the weapon.  I sent a team with orders to procure it and bring it back to the _Dark Thunder_ so our forces could begin mass production on it, in the event it would have to be deployed on a planetary scale to stop the telepath threat."

            Barnes spoke calmly, his words shocking both Lochley and Allan.  Though the Telepath War had its impact on Babylon 5, the station was far from the frontlines and most of the fighting; hence they were not privy to many of the stories of war.  "A planetary scale?"  Zack finally managed.  "You were going to launch a campaign of mass murder?"  His emotions finally reached a boiling point as he questioned Barnes' actions.  Allan felt a personal attachment to the loss suffered during the war and could not help but be appalled by what he had heard.

            "It was a last resort," Barnes remained calm.  "We only wanted to have the weapon in our arsenal in case all other attempts to remove the Psi Corps from power failed.  It was to be used only if everything else we had failed."  Barnes ended his confrontation with the Chief by returning to his story.  "Unfortunately, the Psi Corps got to him before my team did and we never managed to secure the formula.  Throughout the years, Earth Force Intelligence has heard rumors about pieces of the formula getting into the hands of independent arms dealers and scientists but hasn't found any concrete evidence to support that."

            "Well what would a scumbag like Arem be doing trying to get mass quantities of the stuff?"  Zack's question was indeed a valid one.  Though telepaths, among humans at least, were still disliked and feared by some, they were not a threat to anyone.

            "Zack," Lochley looked up the security chief, quickly taking charge, having an idea of where his investigation could proceed next.  "Try to break into Arem's accounts, try to trace any deposits he's had in the last six months, maybe that can give you some idea as to who his employer was, maybe from there we can figure out some sort of a motive."

            He shook his head and frowned.  "Tried it already Captain, Arem wiped all of his records just a couple of hours before he died, my guess is, either he was trying to make a run for it and cover his tracks or, he knew someone was after him and for that reason wanted to cover his tracks.  Either way, we've run into a brick wall as far as the investigation is concerned."

            "And the autopsy didn't reveal anything?"  Barnes inquired.

            "Nothing."

            The sounding of Captain Lochley's link interrupted a momentary awkward silence.  "Lochley, go," she answered, toggling it on.

            Commander David Corwin, his voice wrought with distress, spoke through it.  "Captain, this is Commander Corwin, we're picking up an audio only distress signal being broadcast from the EAS _Michael_, the heavy transport ferrying General Pack and the rest of the Earth Force brass here for the ceremony."

            Lochley and met eyes with Barnes, both of them relaying concern at the report delivered by her first officer as she ordered him to patch the signal through to her office.  The transmission was overcome by static, Corwin saying that they would have it cleaned up momentarily.

            It finally cleared to an audible degree.  "Repeat this is Captain James Marshall of the armored transport EAS _Michael_.  We are under heavy attack from unidentified forces.  Multiple squadrons of heavy attack fighters are hitting every section of the ship.  Our fighter cover is gone and defensive weapons can't keep up with the amount of punishment we're taking.  We are carrying V.I.P. personnel.  Any Earth Force ship or outposts within range of my voice, please send help.  Repeat this is Captain James …"  The transmission ended in an abrupt burst of static.

            "We've lost the signal Captain," Corwin reported.

            Lochley quickly sprang into action, knowing what had to be done.  "Commander, do we have a sensor lock on the _Michael_?"

            "Yes ma'am, she's about thirty-five minutes out.  Nothing else is in range to response, we're the closest help she's got."

            Lochley could only hope they would hold out that long.  From how Captain Marshall made it sound, his ship was taking quite a beating, thirty-five minutes could very well be too long but she had no choice but to try.  "Very well, launch Alpha and Gamma wings, tell them to haul ass to the _Michael_.  Also advise Earth Force HQ, see if they can scramble some additional forces that way."  After Corwin's acknowledgment of her order, the Captain toggled her link off and looked to Barnes, wanting to ask him if he could scramble some Alliance forces but seeing he had already disappeared from her office, slipping away while she had nothing other than talking to Corwin on her mind.

            Zack, seeing the question poised on the Captain's lips, simply pointed a thumb towards the door, both of them knowing where the Admiral was headed.

***

            The _Red Star_, an advanced prototype for what the Alliance had dubbed the second generation White Star, hung outside the station, its crew preparing for departure, as Admiral Jerry Barnes had ordered only two minutes before when he advised he was coming onboard.  The White Star II as it was being called, was being slowly phased in as a replacement for the White Stars within the Interstellar Alliance fleet, the _Red Star_ being the first ship which Barnes had successfully lobbied to have transferred to his command.

            This new generation of White Star had all of the strengths of the original with few of the weaknesses.  The visible bridge was removed, making the only true vulnerable spot the rear docking area.  The wings featured a greater curve with a wider space between the top and bottom sets.  In drills, the ship demonstrated an average speed and maneuverability thirty-seven percent greater than its predecessor.  Its shielding was able to absorb, on average, fifty percent more punishment.  An even greater improvement was in the weapons package.  The two pulse cannons mounted on the nose were moved underneath the nose, making them a less convenient target for hostile fighters.  On the wingtips, a single pulse cannon is mounted while a pair of pulse cannons is mounted another each wing, four pairs in all.  The _Red Star_ also did not lack a rear defense weapon, with two aft firing pulse cannons at its disposal.  Though it would take approximately ten years to phase out the old White Stars, replacing them with the White Star II, all fleet commanders were greatly looking forward to seeing this ship in action.

            Admiral Jerry Barnes was no exception.  He had wasted no time in reaching the bridge once his shuttle docked with the _Red Star_.  Taking his seat in the command chair at the center of the bridge, the design having carried over from the first series White Star, he realized that the White Star II class of ship had never seen any actual combat.  With only a handful in service, the original White Stars were still handling most of the work while the White Star II was devoted to system defense duties and conducting advanced trials.  With almost the entire Earth Force command staff in imminent danger, Barnes could think of no better time to test the newest weapon in the Alliance's arsenal.

            Upon arriving onboard the _Red Star_ he had transmitted a message to the Babylon 5 fighters, ordering them to enter formation with his ship and respond with them to the _Michael_'s location.  He was then contacted by Captain Lochley, who offered a heated protest about him going into a combat situation, insisting that he remain behind and allow someone else to take the _Red Star_ into battle, trying unsuccessfully to convince him that he was too important to be putting himself into danger such as he was.  Barnes overrules her objections however, stating that she should understand his need to be out there, which, she admitted, she did.

            The thirty-five minutes trip, short by most standards, was agonizingly long.  Since they had jumped away from Babylon 5, Barnes had the crew, the majority Rangers, trying to raise the _Michael_ an all known frequencies with no success.  He did not discount the possibility of their transmitter being damaged, nor did he favor it.  The last thing Earth needed was a blow like this, so quickly after the destruction of the Seventh Fleet.  His lessons in diplomacy and politics from Sheridan had done him some good, another explanation for his presence here, the Alliance needed to look like it had endeavored to save the _Michael_ if even if the transport fell.

            As the point reached where Barnes could no longer stand the waiting, the Ranger on his left, a Minbari woman dressed in the usual Ranger garb, advised they were on approach to the last known location of the transport.  Barnes composed himself.  He had not seen actual combat himself, aside from participating in battle drills and war games, since the Imradis incident, where he led the White Star fleet attack against the renegade Brakiri cruisers.  Combat however, was something he was no stranger to and the art of it, in his experience, something not easily lost.

            "Jump!"  Barnes gave the order, breaking his silence that had been present for most of the journey.  Seconds later, the _Red Star_ and the compliment of twenty-four fighters from Babylon 5 leapt into normal space, the broken hull of the EAS _Michael_ appearing before Barnes in the view port.  The ship was still a good distance away but visible damage on the hull could easily be made out.  Around it, dozens of dagger shaped fighters swarmed like bees, striking the hull with small white beams from their noses.

            "Admiral, detecting life signs on the _Michael_, they're still alive but the ship is in real bad shape, it won't last much longer taking that kind of punishment.  Estimate thirty-six hostile fighters out there."  The Minbari reported, studying the images appearing on her screen and quickly relaying that information to Barnes.

            Barnes nodded, acknowledging the report and knowing what had to be done.  "Squadron leaders," Barnes flipped a switch on his chair, opening a channel to the Babylon 5 fighters.  "Attack formation delta.  Follow us in and stay tight until we're in range.  Target their lead ships, prepare to launch missiles, we've got the draw them away from the _Michael_.  Once we're engaged Alpha squadron will provide close in cover and support for the transport while Gamma squadron and the _Red Star_ engage the hostiles at a distance, trying to keep them out of firing range of the _Michael_."  He flipped the switch off and turned to the Ranger who nodded once at him, a silent report that the fighters were in formation.  "Go!"

            The _Red Star_, with twelve Thunderbolts and twelve Starfuries in tight formation, charged towards the fighters swarming the defenseless transport.  To Barnes' surprise, as the rescue force advance, the fighters did not deviate from their attack on the transport, still picking at its hull with their weapons, the only ones on the fighter as far as Barnes could tell.  Though he did not dare say it and distract his crew, he recognized the design of the fighter and the implications it brought.

            "Gamma squadrons reports missiles locked onto the lead fighters."

            "Barnes to Gamma squadrons, you are cleared to release missiles, I say again, missile release is authorized."  Following the Admiral's orders, a score of missiles flew forth from the Thunderbolt fighters.  Streaking forward, their tails glowing red as they advanced on the targets, Barnes counted the seconds until the weapons reached their destination.  The space in front of them became alive as a series of violent explosions were seen around the transport, the sixteen missiles launched scoring nine kills.  Still, the hostile fighters did not break from their attack on the transport, leading Barnes to conclude their pilots were either exceptionally well trained or exceptionally stupid.

            The _Red Star_ and fighters continued to close on the attacking ships, the Ranger rattling off the distance from the attackers.  When they reached two hundred fifty meters, Barnes gave the order.  The twelve forward pulse cannons of the _Red Star_ opened fire as the accompanying fighters broke formation, firing with their own cannons.  The loss of another eight fighters was enough to bring the interest of the attackers to the Alliance forces, returning fire and destroying four of the Babylon 5 fighters.

            Starfuries of Alpha squadron swooped in, gliding along the hull of the _Michael_, pivoting and using their pulse cannons to target the hostiles as they broke away to engage Gamma squadron and the _Red Star_, which were speeding away from the transport, successfully attempting to draw attention away from the crippled ship.  As the enemy fighters left their weapon range, the fighters fell into a defensive formation, the lead pilot contacting the ship, assuring that they would have them out of there in no time.

            The _Red Star_ and the Thunderbolts from Gamma squadrons maintained a slight lead on the dagger fighters as they pursued.  The nineteen fighters unleashed another series of silvery white beams from the nose of their ships, striking the _Red Star_ in three places, causing no noticeable damage and slicing through the hull of two Thunderbolts, destroying them.  The aft weapon systems of the Alliance attack ship responded in kind, the two cannons unleashing eight bolts of energy and destroying two hostile fighters.

            On the bridge, Barnes felt the hull beneath him shake, rocked by another series of hits from the enemy fighters rapidly closing behind his command.  When the report came that the enemy fighters were outside range of targeting the _Michael_, Barnes decided it was time to end this chase.  "All ships, prepare to fire breaking thrusters, standby for high velocity bank on my mark."  More than one set of eyes gave the Admiral a curious look upon hearing his orders.  It was a dangerous maneuver for a formation to use when hostiles weren't rapidly closing upon them.

            "Now!"  On Barnes' command, the _Red Star_ and ten Thunderbolts, fired their forward thrusters briefly, enough to allow for the safe firing of their starboard thrusters, throwing the ships into a fast turn, countered by their port thrusters when they had completed a one hundred eighty degree maneuver.  The ships unleashed a fury of weapon fire from their forward banks, destroying six more hostiles.  The dagger fighters, unable to slow in time to keep from running into the line of Alliance ships, attempted to break away, three of their fighters ramming into Gamma squadron fighters, destroying both.

            With eight fighters remaining and seven left on his side, not counting those guarding the transport, Barnes gave the pursuit order for those fighters that had just flown past them.  Now the hunter had become the hunted.  Barnes ordered all ships to open fire, the _Red Star_ firing with its main beam weapon in addition to its array of pulse cannons.  The beam disintegrated an enemy fighter on impact, the pulse cannons scoring an additional four kills as they ripped through the hulls of the enemy, turning them into balls of fire.  Gamma squadron, through mixed attacks of missiles and cannons, destroyed two fighters, leaving only one still running from the Alliance attack force.

            It was not running for long however.  Dodging a fierce attack by the Alliance craft, the fighter spun around, firing its weapon, slicing off the port wings of one Thunderbolt and puncturing the cockpit of another.  The hostile then charges straight at the _Red Star_, intensely firing its weapon while dodging a ferocious counterattack from the Alliance vessel.  The hostile fighter struck the _Red Star_ eleven additional times before it was destroyed, disabling its main beam weapon.

            As Barnes look in front of him, taking in the small field of rubble that marked the final resting place for the last hostile fighter, he breathed a sigh of relief.  Though the fight had been the most difficult of his career, it was difficult enough to concern him.  Though they had achieved a victory, too many good pilots had to die for it and he had no idea the casualties the _Michael_ had suffered.  He ordered that they set a course back for the transport and open a channel to her.  The image of General Pack, his gray hair out of place, a small red gash on his forehead, a tear on his blue uniform and relief on his face, soon filled the holographic screen in front of Barnes as it shimmered to life.

            "Impeccable timing Admiral Barnes."

            "Is everyone alright General?"

            Pack exhaled deeply.  "Twelve crew members dead, aside from that, a few cuts, bruises and a lot of broken spirits.  They came out of nowhere Admiral, hitting our primary reactor with the first blow.  The Captain decided to use what power we had left to jump to normal space so we could deploy our and try to make a stand without having to worry about drifting off the beacon.  They knocked out our fighters and defensive guns in a matter of seconds, then they just toyed with us until you arrived, blowing off pieces of the hull and our other systems but not targeting anything that would be likely to destroy us, that is until you arrived when they stepped up their attacks.  It's a good thing you drove them off or we wouldn't have survived."

            "General, we'll tow you back to Babylon 5, we'll discuss this further there."  Barnes chose not to discuss why the enemy fighters would chose to wait for his arrival before trying to destroy the _Michael_, such a strategy did not make a great deal of sense.  He knew these hostiles were the same aliens that had destroyed the Seventh Fleet and attacked the Narns, adding to his feeling that this strategy made no sense.  Granted the _Michael_ was quite a tempting target with virtually the whole of the Earth Force command staff onboard but there were better targets for attempting to cripple a military.  Generals could be replaced far easier than ships or space stations could.

            Admiral Barnes retired from the bridge to his quarters, he needed to think and they were better than the bridge for that purpose.  He could not help but focus on trying to unravel the strategy this new enemy was displaying.  If they had been trying to knockout the Earth Force leadership, why would they have targeted nonessential parts of the ship, not trying to destroy it, until the rescue force arrived.  Perhaps it was another test as Na'Goth had described it.  Perhaps, Barnes concluded, this was all a game they were playing to test the Alliance and its member worlds, preparing for a grand strike.

***

            Near the scene of the battle, obscured from sight by a moon, he continued to replay the brief conversation they had recorded between the human commanders, Barnes and Pack.  He studied Barnes image, the Admiral was perplexed by their actions, and it was quite obvious.  The Admiral would no doubt still be trying to determine the motives behind their actions, meaning that he had achieved yet another goal, to trigger confusion in the commanders of the Interstellar Alliance.  His test was again successful and it was now time to take his new information and begin planning the next phase.

            He turned in his chair to the left of the bridge.  "Order the fleet withdrawn to our territory, advise home world I will be arriving within three days with the information they have requested."

            "At once my Kal'Arn."

            Moments later, the massive cruiser that had secretly observed the battle jumped into hyperspace.

***

            "President Sheridan wasn't too happy when he found out you'd taken off on this mission, especially hours before your ceremony is supposed to start," Captain Lochley made a point of rubbing this in, given her objection to Barnes leaving which he had quickly overruled.  "He did however want me to express to you his congratulations in rescuing the _Michael_ and the Earth Force staff."

            Barnes grinned.  "I told Sheridan when I took this job that I wasn't going to be the sit behind a desk type commander, that I was going to be out here on the frontlines," a pause and a slight chuckle from the Admiral as he looked into Elizabeth's eyes on the small communications monitor.  "He didn't like it much then either."  He glanced at the display on an adjacent wall, showing their distance from the station.  He had contacted Lochley an hour before when they had first jumped into hyperspace with the Earth transport in tow to advise her that they would need to have medical and repair teams standing by when they arrived.  The two had been casually talking since then.

            Another glance at the display to verify what he had seen.  "We're about five minutes out Elizabeth, I'll see you soon."

            "Jerry, one more thing, I thought you'd like to know, the _Hades_ and the _Dark Thunder_ arrived while you were gone.  Captains McDouglass and Griffon told me that they couldn't see themselves missing your ceremony."

            He was caught off his guard by this news.  Last he had heard, the _Hades_ and his former command, the _Dark Thunder_ had been on assignment attempting to dismantle a well-armed and well-organized raider group operating within Earth Alliance territory.  Though he had extended an invitation to Captain Leslie Griffon to attend the ceremony, he had expected that they would still be on assignment and unable to attend.  It would be good seeing her and his old ship again, having not seen either since the Imradis incident.

            Then his thoughts went to Captain Sarah McDouglass, younger sister of the Earth Force General.  He could remember exactly when the last time he saw her was, more than four years prior when he had resigned from Earth Force.  As his last official action, he had promoted her to command of the newest Warlock class destroyer rolling off the lines, the EAS _Hades_.  Though she deserved the command, his true motivation in doing so had been an attempt to keep her away from the frontlines of the war with the Drahk, the _Hades_ being scheduled for a two year shakedown cruise before going into active service.  His plan had failed however, the Drahk crisis forcing the _Hades_ to be pressed into active service almost immediately following its christening.

            In the years since, they had exchanged text messages, usually formalities, making sure the other was doing well and checking in with any news they had.  He had tried several times to contact her in real time but was always met with failure as the _Hades_ was usually on a classified mission during which they could not receive communications from outside of Earth Force, even if it came from an aide to President Sheridan and later the commander of the Army of Light.  During the past three months, as the pressures of his office and helping the President ratify the military act, Barnes had simply forgotten to keep in touch with her, not having the time to do so.

            After several seconds of silence, Barnes chose to round out the conversation rather than saying anything about either of the Captains or allowing the silence to continue to the point where it would become uncomfortable.  "I'll see you soon Elizabeth," Barnes reiterated in his conclusion, taking a long hard look at her.  She returned the sentiment and the transmission ended, her image being replaced by that of the Interstellar Alliance logo as the screen faded to black.  Waiting for another minute in his quarters, during which time his thoughts dwelt on Elizabeth and Sarah, the Admiral finally made his way back to the bridge.

            When he arrived, the ship had completed its jump to normal space and Babylon 5 was filling the forward view port.  The surviving fighters that had accompanied them broke formation and sped towards the station.  Seeing the station from the distance of the jump gate, Barnes realized for the first time exactly how serious his ceremony was being taken by the Alliance member worlds.  He was able to count more than five-dozen warships, several from each member world, parked outside the station.  Taking in the vast array of ships, he focused on one that entered view as the _Red Star_ turned to angle for a parking orbit with the station.

            The EAS _Dark Thunder_, the last in a line of ships many believed should never have existed.  Created during the Earth civil war for a single purpose, to destroy the White Star fleet and rebel destroyers that had joined Sheridan's rebel movement.  Jerry Barnes could still remember, vividly, the two years he had spent overseeing the Omega-X destroyer project.  When the time came that President Clark ordered the deployment of the Omega-X fleet, the ships were not totally completed, having still several weeks of final work left to complete.  Barnes, realizing that the White Star fleet would be able to overpower the task force and not wanting to sacrifice all of their advanced destroyers and the technology involved, took the _Dark Thunder_ away from the rest of the fleet to a neutral base where he waited out the war.

            In the years following the war, the _Dark Thunder_ played the largest part in his life.  He had commanded the destroyer throughout Wallace's insurrection, the telepath war, the Drahk war and countless other crises until he resigned from Earth Force, promoting Leslie Griffon, his former tactical officer, to command the _Dark Thunder_.  Since then, he successfully fought more than a dozen attempts by Earth Alliance politicians to have the destroyer decommissioned, wanting Earth to distance itself from the past the _Dark Thunder_ represented.

            In approximately ten minutes, the _Red Star_ had towed the crippled EAS _Michael_ into a position next to the station where maintenance bots soon began swarming around it, quickly stabilizing the more damaged areas of the hull that had been further weakened by the stress of two hyperspace jumps.  As they continued their work, shuttles were soon being dispatched from Babylon 5 for the Earth Force command staff onboard the crippled transport.

            Barnes turned command back over to the Ranger Captain of the _Red Star_ and departed for the shuttle bay, returning to the station on the same ship he had left on a short time before.  The landing area was quiet, not yet having received the flood of injured and wounded from the Earth Force transport.  Babylon 5 control had temporarily shutdown all incoming traffic to allow for the quick movement of wounded who were inbound.  The Admiral made his way past eight people as he entered the customs area, bypassing the security.

            A medical team, led by the chief of staff, soon ran past him into the landing area as the first wave of shuttles from the _Michael_, carrying the Earth Force Generals and critically wounded.  Captain Lochley and Commander Corwin, both having rushed from command and control, joined him.  There was little said between the three officers aside from Barnes expressing sympathy for the pilots that were lost in the battle and ordering an immediate elevation of the station's alert status, that he believed those responsible for this most recent attack may attempt to attack Babylon 5.

            Lochley expressed some reservation to the Admiral's concern but reluctantly agreed when the Admiral pointed out the proximity of the last attack to the station.  "Those were only fighters," Barnes argued.  "Short range ones at my guess, meaning they must have had a mother ship somewhere and that ship or ships is probably still out there."  Barnes promising to bring in as many additional Alliance ships as possible, the Captain reluctantly agreed, sending Corwin back to C&C to coordinate their defenses with the Alliance ships present for the ceremony.

            As their conversation finished, the first group of stretchers, surrounded by station medical personnel came poring from the docking bays.  Lochley quickly pulled one of the medics, who did not seem to engaged in an overly important activity.  "What's the casualty count?"

            The medic spoke quickly, apparently anxious to return to her duties.  "Twelve dead, eleven in critical condition but likely to make it, a few dozen with minor injures, the doctors have told them to report to MedLab for treatment on their own time, we're rushing the critical patients there now.  Both General Pack and General McDouglass are in good shape and shouldn't be far behind."

            Lochley nodded, relieved at the news that the attack did not claim as many lives as it could have.  "On your way," she ordered, the medic quickly rushing to catch up to the rest of the critical patients who had already disappeared from sight.

            "Barnes!"  General Pack shouted, emerging from the docking bay as promised with General McDouglass by his side.  "What the hell is going on out there?"  The General demanded as he approached the Admiral and Captain, neither bothering with the formality of a salute.  "First the Seventh Fleet, then the Narns, then the _Michael_, would you care to tell me who these bastards are going to hit next and when you plan on doing something about it?"  Pack had apparently spent the last hour during the journey to Babylon 5 becoming angrier at the situation and the way in which the Alliance was handling it.  Barnes considered asking how they had found out about the attack on the Narns and the link to the Seventh Fleet but dismissed the idea, instead deciding to try and calm the General as much as possible.

            "General," Barnes maintained a cool tone as he confronted Pack.  He could not blame him for his attitude, knowing he would feel the same were he in the position.  "We are currently considering several plans of action, I would ask you to be patient as we work to implement them.  I assure you that we will share with you any information we have when we are able to, we just need some time."

            Pack began to speak another protest when Lochley took the opportunity and cut in.  "Surely General, someone of your experience can understand the need for secrecy and discretion in a time like this."  Pack paused another moment before giving in to the fact that Barnes and his staff would run this the way they wanted regardless of his protest.

            Pack nodded, telling Barnes and Lochley he would speak with them later as he disappeared into Babylon 5, General McDouglass and several other Earth Force officers following him, likely to be holding their own top level meetings on the station before the ceremony.

            Barnes, though he maintained a cool outer demeanor was slightly shaken by the brief confrontation with his former mentor.  He turned to Lochley, looking into her eyes.  "Thanks," he managed before walking away, knowing he still had a great many things to take care of in the few hours remaining before the ceremony.

            She turned, looking at his back as he disappeared into an increasing crowd of people moving further into the station.  She thought about following, to ask him about the battle and about the tie Pack had mentioned between the three attacks but decided against it, knowing he needed to focus on his duties and she needed to focus on her own.  "You're welcome."

********************

IAS_ VICTORY_; HYPERSPACE  
 JANUARY 8, 2272, 18:42 EST 

********************

            Captain Edward MacDonald found himself on the verge of relaxing as he sat on the bridge of the _Victory_ watching, on his personal monitor, the ISN coverage of the ceremony where his longtime friend and comrade would be sworn in as commander of the Army of Light and of the militaries of the Alliance member worlds.  Waiting for the arrival of the two Earth Force destroyers, which at last report had been delayed slightly, he had little else to do.  Commander MacKenzie and himself had finalized the battle plan with Admiral Barnes and his staff on Babylon 5 hours earlier after Barnes had returned from fighting off another attack by this new enemy.  Though the latest attack was troubling, it did prove one thing; that this enemy was not beyond defeat.  He had also taken care of the one piece of business he made sure to take care of before heading into any battle, entrusting someone who was not at risk, in this case, his friend Admiral Jerry Barnes with an encoded message to deliver to Julia Rourke.

With the ceremony set to officially begin in approximately fifteen minutes with a speech by President Sheridan, ISN had stepped up its coverage two hours before with an introduction giving the details of the Alliance Military Act that allowed for the creation of Barnes' position and followed by interviews with dozens of human and alien officials, giving their opinions on the Army of Light as well as their opinions on Sheridan's choice for its commander.

Indeed, the naming of Jerry Barnes to the highest military position in the galaxy was not without controversy.  "He fought for Clark," one Earth Senator argued.  "He helped to build the shadow Earth destroyers," a Drazi General protested.  On the other side, it was brought up that Barnes helped to end the Telepath War, the Drahk Crisis and brought a swift and ultimately casualty light resolution to the Imradis Incident.  Still, Sheridan's choosing of Barnes seemed to be a surprise overall, many expecting when the position was first announced that his former XO, General Susan Ivonova would be the likely choice.  Many did not realize the close connection that Sheridan and Barnes had established many years before during the situation with General Wallace that continued to grow throughout the years.

            MacDonald was pulled away from the news broadcast by Commander MacKenzie, whose approach from behind was given away by the reflection in the monitor, clear his throat.  The Captain tapped a circular key on the arm of his chair, switching the monitor off and turning his chair to face the Commander.  "Captain, the _Mithrandir _and the _Curunir_ have arrived and their Captains have been briefed on the latest changes to the plan of attack.  All ships report ready to engage at your order."

            The Captain nodded, MacKenzie standing by patiently waiting for him to give the order.  "How long will the trip through hyperspace to the target take?"  MacDonald realized that in all their planning, he had not sought the answer to that important question, overlooking it in the larger strategic picture he had to consider.

            "Approximately twenty-one minutes."

            MacDonald acknowledged with another nod.  For the crew, their Captain's composure in the situation was a model example for them, all the younger officers and Rangers trying to make their own come close to resembling his.  Unlike many of them, MacDonald was no stranger to combat, it being a near constant companion to him throughout his career.  "All hands man battle stations," the Captain ordered, his previously soft voice rising to be heard across the bridge.  Klaxon alarms sounded, the bridge lights dimmed, allowing for easier viewing of displays and faint red lights replaced the bright white overheads.  MacKenzie manned his station, giving orders for weapons to be charged, fighter squadrons prepared and defenses readied, the rest of the bridge crew taking their positions as well and MacDonald turned to face the forward screen.  

            "Engage," he ordered.  Seconds later, the Alliance attack force, consisting of three Victory class destroyers, two Warlock destroyers, twenty-seven White Stars, six An'Shaka cruisers and twelve Blue Stars moved out of friendly territory, crossing the line into the realm of the enemy to send the Alliance across a line which they would not be able to cross back.

***

            When asked to choose the location where the swearing in ceremony would take place, the arboretum seemed a more natural choice for Jerry Barnes than did other locations on the station.  Captain Lochley had suggested the obvious Reception Hall and Mosque but Barnes wanted a change from so many of the other ceremonies that took place on the station, suggesting that they should place the ceremony in an atmosphere of peace.  In the decision, he was also faced with the problem of accommodating both military and political leaders from a dozen worlds as well as the legions of reporters that would be covering the event.  Hence, with his blessing, Captain Lochley had directed the station's resource managers to erect a small but regal stage in an open area of the arboretum.

            As the Captain now stood, dressed in the rather uncomfortable and what she considered to be rather silly looking full dress uniform, she could not help but feel that Jerry had made the correct choice.  The platform had been constructed of a dark brown wood, scaffolding built behind it, displaying the banners of the Interstellar Alliance, the Army of Light and the Anla'Shok in the center with the banners of the Alliance member worlds flanking them on each side.  On the stage itself, a simple podium constructed of the same dark wood, the Interstellar Alliance logo displayed in the center.  Behind and on both sides of the podium, several chairs, one for a military representative from each race, one for Barnes, one for Sheridan, one for Ambassador Ta'Lon, who was to deliver the oath of office and one for her.  As the Captain of the station, she was to give a brief introduction.  

Many of the delegates had already taken their place on the stage, causing her to begin making her way there, noting that Sheridan and Barnes were not yet present.  As she approached, she spotted them, Barnes in his dress uniform and Sheridan in a black suit with dark blue shirt, the two talking beside the stage.  Though, from her angle, she could not see Barnes, she knew the look Sheridan carried on his face far too well.

"So they're on the move?"  Sheridan asked, his voice quiet, not wanting others, especially the press to hear their conversation but also grim with concern for the report Barnes had given him.

Barnes nodded, leaning closer to Sheridan and lowering his own voice to a whisper.  "Captain MacDonald gave the go ahead order for the attack force to move into position and engage about seventeen minutes ago, I got the news just before I left my quarters.  They should be engaging anytime now and," a slight pause, determining the words to not sound overly optimistic.  "With luck, we'll know within an hour if the attack was successful."

"Or if it wasn't."  Sheridan took note of the time and the growing presence around the stage and gestured to it.  "Well Admiral, we can't worry about it now.  Having all of the media attention focused on the ceremony should keep them from breaking the news of our attack if it somehow has gotten out at least until after we can make a statement about it."  The President sighed, hating to be thinking of their soldiers in such an impersonal sense.  "Let's put our game faces on and go play to the crowd."  Barnes nodding, the two of them walked onto the stage, serious smiles on their faces as they took their seats amongst slight applause from the crowd of dignitaries, soldiers, diplomats and reporters.

Elizabeth Lochley stood; giving Jerry the slightest smile as she elegantly strode past him from her seat to the podium.  "Good evening," she began, her voice echoing throughout the arboretum as she spoke into the microphone and across the galaxy as it was broadcast live across every major planetary network including those of the Centauri and C'Les.  "I'm Elizabeth Lochley, Earth Force Captain and military governor of Babylon 5.  I'd like to thank all of you for coming.  I hope the accommodations are to your liking and that you've found the station to be hospitable," she spoke with a grin as her very dry attempt at humor raised a few laughs throughout the crowd below her.  "With Babylon 5 acting as host to these events and as the new base for the Army of Light command, I've been asked to give a brief introduction.  For those who aren't familiar with the itinerary, I'll be followed by prepared remarks from President John Sheridan, after which we will have the oath of office, presented by Ambassador Ta'Lon and we will close with remarks from Admiral Jerry Barnes.  Following this ceremony there will be an invitation only reception and my apologies to all those in the press corps whose invitations were lost," another laugh from the crowd though that comment was less of a joke, only a handful of reporters being extended invitations to the reception.

Lochley looked back at Barnes and Sheridan who seemed to be eagerly awaiting what she had to say before continuing.  "I won't take up a lot of your time with what I have to say.  I was here when the Alliance was in its infant days, I've watched it grow, watched it struggle and I'm proud to be here to watch it overcome another obstacle today."  As Lochley concluded her speech and introduced President Sheridan, Jerry Barnes found himself considering how many obstacles the Alliance still had in front of it.

***

            "Captain, we're in position," Commander MacKenzie reported from his station on the left side of the bridge, from which he could monitor navigation, weapons, communication, sensors, damage control along with all other ship functions.  "All commands standing by at red alert, report jump engines charged and ready.

Edward MacDonald took another few seconds to quickly replay the attack plan in his head.  It felt as though they had simulated this a hundred times today but this was much different for this time, in all likelihood, the enemy would shoot back with more than simulated sensor readings.  He took a deep breath, allowing a wave of calm to wash over him in doing so.  He was prepared for battle, as were his ship and crew.  He could only hope he would lead the ship to fulfill its name.  One thing he knew for certain, win or lose, it would be one hell of a fight.

"First tactical squadron," MacDonald pressed a control on his chair, activating a secure communications frequency to the rest of the fleet.  "Take position and standby to jump."  He spoke calmly, a reassuring sound to those under his command, making them believe that at least the Captain felt there was a chance of winning this fight.  On cue, seven White Stars broke formation with the fleet, closing into a tight attack formation of their own as they moved ahead into their pre-designated jump coordinates.

"Tactical squadron in position Captain."  MacKenzie reported, his sensor display instantly updating to show the new position of the White Stars.

"Jump."

Above the massive dark gray station, three blue and white jump points violently ripped through the fabric of space.  They gave birth to seven White Stars, their neutron and pulse cannons blazing as they charged towards the space station.  The attempt at a surprise attack succeeded, the Alliance ships apparently catching the station and its defenders off guard.  They skimmed along the hull of the station, bringing all weapons to bear against the outer structure.  Their targets were what Captain MacDonald believed to be fighter launch bays and short-range weapon system along the exterior along with their first strike, which targeted and successfully damaged what he believed to be the command center.

The element of surprise however quickly disappeared as twelve attack ships emerged from below the station, firing with a silvery white beam weapon emitted from the noses of their ships.  Several scored successful ships as they pursued the White Stars.  The Alliance ships broke away from the station after their last round of hits against it, moving away at high speed, trying to widen the distance between them and the hostiles attack ships.  It seemed as though their attack had worked to disable the short-range weapons of the station at least temporarily.

            Despite the commendable maneuvers displayed by the fleeing White Star squadron, the hostile vessels proved equal to them.  Three hostiles closed in behind a White Star who had already taken a hit to its engines, firing several bursts, penetrating the shields and the bio-armored hull, striking the ship at its heart.  The ship was lost in a brilliant explosion as the quantum gravitic reactor went critical.  The Captains of the remaining six White Stars ordered additional power to engines, telling their pilots to poor on the speed and increase maneuvers, wanting to avoid a similar fate.  At the station, fighters were being launched, additional attack ships mobilized and one of the docked destroyers showed signs of powering up, all preparing to give chase to the Alliance sneak attack.

            On the bridge of the IAS _Victory_, Captain MacDonald watched the results of the attack on his personal monitor as he listened to the audio from the comm. channel patched across the bridge speakers.  His eyes shut for a brief second when he listened, as one of their ships was lost in the fight.  He could not allow himself to grieve now, there was too much at stake and he knew there would be far too much time for mourning after the battle.

            "Second attack wing is in position Captain," Commander MacKenzie indicated that the two Earth destroyers and ten White Stars were prepared to jump into combat.  MacDonald took heart that after he gave the order for those ships to jump, his would be the next to enter combat and then the outcome of the battle would be decided.  The Captain waited until word came that an enemy destroyer, the remaining gunboats and two squadrons of fighters had joined the pursuit of the White Stars.  "Captain Hutchinson, Captain Price, God be with you.  First tactical squadron, break away now.  Second attack wing, jump!"  The Captain's voice increased intensity as the order to attack was given as he felt the pressure and danger building with each second, hoping that his gambit would pay off as well as the simulations predicted and that it would not prove to be costly for them.

***

            "Good evening," President Sheridan began immediately after stepping to the podium.  After his introduction by Captain Lochley, he had stood, shook her hand and whispered a personal thank you in her ear before relieving her as the speaker.  "I'd like to thank all in attendance here today, I know many of you traveled a great ways to be here today, from Earth, Narn, Minbar and many other worlds to help us commemorate this historic event.

            "The Interstellar Alliance, in its short life has been marked by many events that history will remember for better or worse.  Not all of those are events we're proud of, we've stumbled a lot along the way but we've also made a great many positive strides and today we make another one.  In our first year, we were faced with a conflict that happened for a lot of reasons, that ended for one reason and that showed us we still had a weakness.  A weakness in the fact that though we were allies, all of us could not cooperate for the common good of the Alliance.  Today, we take steps to ensure that, if we are faced with another conflict of that magnitude, similar mistakes will not be made.  We are gathered here today to grant official power to the Army of Light and its commanders to govern any and all military actions taken by the Alliance and its member worlds.  By taking these steps today, we ensure the safety of the Alliance for years to come.

            "When we first set out to give the Army of Light this power years ago, I began to consider who would be the right person to lead it through its birth, to help integrate it throughout the Alliance and to establish the command structure needed.  When word leaked that we were working on a draft of the long rumored Alliance Military Act, I received over six hundred resumes from extremely qualified individuals as well as another five hundred suggestions from heads of state and diplomats from across the Alliance.  The decision was one I did not take lightly, it was a difficult one but in the end, I believe it was the obvious choice, the man who had acted and was currently serving as my primary advisor in military matters.  I suppose it came as a shock to some people when I selected former Earth Force General Jerry Barnes to serve in that post.

            "The reason I selected Jerry Barnes for this important and demanding position is quite simply that he was the best person for the job.  During his time at Earth Force Academy, Jerry Barnes earned the highest marks in tactical exercises and war game simulations, in addition to graduating at the top of his class.  In his first tour of duty with Earth Force, during the Minbari War, he served with distinction, first as a fighter pilot and later as an executive officer, after receiving an injury that prevented him from flying again.  After the war, he served as a destroyer captain as well as project led on Earth's advanced destroyer project.  He cannot be known any better than for his actions while in command of the EAS _Dark Thunder_ where he brought honor to both Earth and the Interstellar Alliance, helping to bring an end to countless potentially deadly incidents.  

"After his retirement from Earth Force for personal reasons, I humbly extended to him an invitation to join my staff as an advisor.  During this time it became clear to me that he was the best to lead the Army of Light through this new phase of its life."  Sheridan paused as the crowd gave a subdued round of applause, the President motioning for silence.  "Not to take up anymore time with introductions, history and explanations, I would like to ask Ambassador Ta'Lon of the Narn Regime to, at this time, deliver the oath of office."

Ta'Lon stood; making his way to the podium, as did Barnes, all the while his mind focused light years away.

***

            Another of the White Stars exploded as the hostile attack ships converged behind it, firing several shots, breaking the two wings off the main structure, all three parts spiraling out of control and exploding.  Five of the hostile attack ships were lining up behind another of the Alliance ships when the order from Captain MacDonald came.  The White Stars quickly broke away from their course as seven jump points tore through the black space in front of them, slicing through six of the pursuing ships before they too could break away.  

The Warlock destroyers _Mithrandir _and _Curunir _sprang forth from two of the jump points, pairs of White Stars appearing from the other five.  The White Stars quickly entered formation with the surviving five from the first attack, turning to engage the additional forces now entering range, leaving the first six hostile attack ships for the Earth destroyers to contend with.  Thunderbolt fighters flew from the launch bays of the massive destroyers as the six hostile attack ships regrouped and made for the _Curunir_, the closer of the two warships.  Finished deploying their first wave of fighters, the two destroyers turned towards the attack ships opening fire with their primary weapons, two heavy particle beams mounted above their hangars.  The four red beams broke through the enemy formation, destroying two attack ships on contact, the rest dodging the deadly beam.

The four remaining attackers zoomed in, unleashed volleys of fire on the hull of the _Curunir_.  The destroyer suffered minor damage from the hits, their interceptor batteries dispersing half of the incoming energy beams.  Fighters rushed to its defense, six Thunderbolts scoring several direct hits against the port outboard engine of the attack ship, the engine exploding under sustained fire from the more maneuverable fighters.  The attacker spun out of control towards the _Mithrandir_ to be broken apart by pulse cannon and laser fire from the turreted weapons of the destroyer.  

With three remaining attack ships to deal with, the fighter squadrons vigilantly pursued them, firing with every weapon in their arsenal and corralling them between the two Warlock destroyers.  Turreted weapons on both ships opened fire as the Thunderbolt squadrons broke away, creating an impassable gauntlet of energy, which the attackers could not pass through.  The minor battle one, the two destroyers and their fighters turned towards the larger battle in front of them.

The fifteen White Stars charged fearlessly into the waiting lines of the enemy.  The ships that had joined pursuit against the initial attack wing had entered range.  The large destroyer laid down an array of fire with multiple beam weapons, rapid-fire green pulse cannons and a white energy torpedo.  The twenty-four attack ships and two squadrons of fighters broke formation with the destroyers, charging towards the White Stars, their weapons firing.  Three of the Alliance ships were torn apart in the opening volley from the enemy, the rest moved to engage their fighters and attack ships.  Though the White Stars fought more valiantly than could be expected from even Rangers, destroying eight of the attacks ships and a squadron of fighters, they were simply outnumbered, nine of their ships being destroyed during the first six minutes of the battle.  Their side of the battle however, was soon to be joined.

A cascade of missiles from the _Curunir_, _Mithrandir _and their fighters struck their targets, destroying the remaining hostile fighters and causing significant damage to the attack ships.  The White Stars, joined by the Thunderbolts and supported by laser fire from the destroyers, despite their damaged state, were able to finish off the attack ships, losing two more of their ships and several Thunderbolts in the process.  With its support ships eliminated, the Earth destroyers and surviving Alliance ships advanced on the hostile destroyer, its weapons still blazing, now focusing solely on the Warlocks.

Captain Edward MacDonald, still watching the battle unfold on a digital sensor display from the bridge of the _Victory_, breathed a sigh of relief in seeing that, so far, their planned seemed to be proceeding as they had hoped it would.  Though they had suffered more losses so far than they had predicted; their forces still appeared to have the upper hand.  Now was when the true test would come.  They still had the base, its remaining fighters and two destroyers to deal with.

"Commander MacKenzie, status report," MacDonald demanded, his voice remaining tranquil but beginning to display the stress of battle that was upon the master of the _Victory_.

"We're in jump position sir, as are the _Lancelot_, _Aragorn_ and the rest of our support ships.  Fighter squadrons are standing by for launch, all defenses are energized and ready, all weapons are charged."

Captain MacDonald took another deep breath.  He was not used to this feeling, the feeling where he realized that each breath from this point on could very well be the last he took.  It was a feeling he both missed and feared in equal measure.  It was a feeling he somehow knew he would be experiencing more often in the future to come.  "Activate jump engines."

"Jump engines online, ready to jump!"  The helmsman announced.

"Jump!"

***

            Ambassador Ta'Lon and Jerry Barnes stepped to the podium, both standing at one corner of it, Sheridan falling into the background behind them.  Ta'Lon placed a book engineered by his predecessor, containing the first page of the holy books of every Alliance race on the podium.  The crowd remained respectfully silent as Ta'Lon turned to address Barnes.  "If you choose to accept this path, you must recognize it is one of great responsibility.  It is a path of great danger, of great personal risk, a path of great solitude."  Barnes remained stone faced as Ta'Lon spoke, his eyes darting momentarily to Lochley who tried to hide that she was shaken by the Ambassador's last comment.  Barnes did a better job of hiding it.

"Do you choose to accept this path?"  Ta'Lon concluded, granting Barnes a few seconds for any final consideration or doubt.

"I do."

Ta'Lon smiled, raising the book with both of his hands.  "Place your hand on the book and repeat after me."  Barnes placed his right hand on the book, raising his left and meeting Ta'Lon's eyes.  "I, Jerry Lucas Barnes, do solemnly swear."

"I, Jerry Lucas Barnes do solemnly swear."

"That I will support and defend the Interstellar Alliance, its citizens and its worlds, equally against all enemies foreign and domestic."

"That I will support and defend the Interstellar Alliance, its citizens and its worlds, equally against all enemies foreign and domestic."

***

            The _Victory_, _Aragorn_ and _Lancelot_ shot from the newly formed jump points above the enemy space station, their escort wing of ten White Stars and twelve Blue Stars close behind.  Each of the destroyers opened fire with its four forward neutron cannons, two of them targeting the hull of the space station, punching through its thick armor in several places while the third targeted the closest of the two enemy destroyers still docked at the station, punching through its hull while the defenses were still lowered, causing significant damage.  As fighters launched from the station, White Stars and Blue Stars moved to engage.

            "Direct hit on the hostile destroyer Captain, its falling away from the station, appears to be drifting," MacKenzie did an admirable job of relaying the newest information to the Captain as it came in.  "Still no direct response from the station but they are launching fighters, support ships moving to engage,"

            MacDonald was quick to react.  "Respond in kind Commander, launch all fighters."

            Responding to MacDonald's orders, the three Alliance destroyers gave birth the squadrons of Thunderbolt, Starfury and Minbari Nial fighters, which quickly moved to engage the enemy fighters blossoming from the station.  The _Lancelot_, using the cover provided by its fighters to it advantage, moved in alongside the station, slicing into its hull with turreted fusion beams, gattling pulse cannons and missile launchers.

            "Captain, second hostile destroyer is powering up," MacKenzie reported, his sensors showing energy readings from the reactors, engines and weapons onboard the remaining destroyer increasing.

            MacDonald glanced at his screen, taking note of the battle the Warlock destroyers were currently engaged in.  The battle appeared to be won with heavy damage inflicted against the hostile destroyer and their ships continuing relentless attacks against it but at a great cost.  The EAS _Curunir_ was burning in space, its Captain having given the order to abandon ship with an estimated six minutes remaining until a reactor overload.  "We can't afford to go into battle against that thing Commander, tell the _Aragorn_ to take it out, we'll give them cover."  Captain MacDonald's eyes converged once again on the screen as the _Victory_ moved forward into a wave of hostile fighters.

***

            "That I will obey the orders of the President of the Interstellar Alliance."

            "That I will obey the orders of the President of the Interstellar Alliance."

            "And that my actions in all things shall be ones of necessity and honor."

            "And that my actions in all things shall be ones of necessity and honor."

            "So help me god."

            "So help me God."

            Ta'Lon lowed the book and extended his hand to Barnes who took it in his and shook it gratefully.  "Congratulations Admiral Jerry Barnes."  It was no mistake that Ta'Lon's use of his title was the first in the ceremony.  Sheridan was the next to step up, shaking Barnes' hand as well, providing a pivotal photo opportunity for the gathered reporters.  As the crowd erupted in applause, Sheridan and the Narn Ambassador withdrew to their seats as Barnes took center stage at the podium.

            "I prepared some remarks a few days ago for this occasion," Barnes nervously began.  It was not until he finished the oath of his office that he had made the decision to disregard his prepared remarks in favor of something more suiting to the events that were transpiring across the galaxy.  "But I won't be reading those today, somehow they no longer seem appropriate."  He built his composure as they waited for what the Admiral had to say.  "As many of you have known since it began and some of you are just now learning, the Interstellar Alliance is being challenged by an enemy striking at us from the shadows."

***

            The IAS _Aragorn_ wasted no time in carrying out Captain McDonald's order.  It fired its forward thrusters, falling back slightly as the _Victory_ advanced on the enemy.  The hull of the _Aragorn_ then went black, its weapons ceasing to fire, as, for a split second, the ship seemed to hang lifelessly in space.  Then, massive beams of yellow energy shot from the three wings to the nose of the ship where they converged into a single beam, shooting forth and striking the remaining enemy destroyer, splitting the ship in two as it punctured the hull.

            Edward MacDonald did not allow himself the luxury of a smile when he watches the destroyer go up in flames following a burst from the _Aragorn_'s main guns.  The destruction of the enemy ship would be costly for the Alliance, putting one of their destroyers out of commission for one minute while its power rebuilt.  The enemy took advantage of one of the destroyers being out of the fight, their fighters swarming towards the _Victory_, no doubt in an attempt to overpower it with their numbers.  The turreted fusion cannons of the destroyer and its gattling pulse cannon defense grid continuously fired, striking down several of the fighters but not preventing them from scoring hits against the hull.

            The bridge shook and the sound of the fighters' weapons dispersing against the crystalline armored hull gave a faint echo as it resonated throughout the ship.  MacDonald checked the damage display on his screen, showing that the armor of the _Victory_ was only refracting fifty percent of the energy weapons these fighters were using; considerably lower than what it should have been.

            "Captain!"  MacKenzie shouted to gain his attention, MacDonald knowing that fighters were likely not the only things he would soon have to worry about.  "Several dozen new power signatures across the outer hull of the space station, their defensive weapons may be coming back online."

            Before Commander MacKenzie had finished his report, the station lit up, unleashing streams of energy beams upon the _Lancelot_ positioned on one side of the station.  Seeing the hull of the mighty destroyer already being marked by several small explosions, MacDonald knew one thing; he had to take that station out now.

***

            "This challenge comes from an enemy previously unknown to us.  We can only assume that they have been watching us for some time," Barnes continued, speaking to a stunned crowd as no one had anticipated him addressing the current situation with which the Alliance was faced.  "But whoever they are, they haven't been watching us close enough," the passion and intensity in Barnes' voice rose.  "They think they can just waltz into our territory, attack and destroy our ships, threaten our leaders but they are mistaken.  We will not allow ourselves to be threatened, we will not allow our citizens to be put into danger, we will not allow our soldiers to be killed, and we will not allow ourselves to be attacked.  I make this promise to every citizen of the Alliance and to every solider under my command, that we will fight them.  That we will defend ourselves and that we will rise to meet every threat and that the Alliance will not falter!"  The Admiral exclaimed, pounding his fist on the podium, met by thunderous applause from the crowd.

            Barnes waited for the clapping to calm before continuing.  "The Alliance will endure, as it always had.  No matter what challenge arises, no matter what obstacles we may face, the Alliance will endure and the Alliance will be victorious."  Barnes humbly retired from the podium met by a silent crowd.  They all wanted him to say more, to tell them what he would do to combat this new threat. 

            Captain Lochley concluded the ceremony, thanking those who attended and reminding those who could attend of the reception to follow.  With that, those assembled filed out of the room, Sheridan, Barnes, Lochley and a handful of others moving out a separate door to avoid the press.  Barnes took note of the time.  By now the attack was well underway and rather than going to check on its status, he had to continue to play the part President Sheridan had continuously instructed him on.

***

            "The _Lancelot_ is hit bad, her weapons are disabled.  She's trying to pull away from the station but it's hitting her engines pretty bad, trying to shut her down."  MacKenzie quickly tapped several digital controls at his station, bringing up displays from another series of sensors.  "The _Aragorn_ is back in the fight, continuing to attack the station."

            Captain MacDonald did not consider losing the _Lancelot_ and option and hence was now forced to use a tactic he had not wanted employ.  Desperate times did call for desperate measured however and that station had to be destroyed now to prevent the loss of another ship.  "How many enemy fighters are left out there Commander?"

            "Two squadrons."

            MacDonald nodded, still enough to be dangerous.  "Tell our fighters to hit them and them hard, keep them away from the us and the _Aragorn_."  He turned to his right and to the tactical station while MacKenzie relayed the orders to their squadron commanders.  "Can you get a shooting solution on that thing's reactor?"  The Captain asked his voice filled with haste as he pointed to the station on the screen.  The tactical officer answered an affirmative, saying that it would only take a few seconds; all they had to do was lock onto the strongest power signature.  "Excellent, lock in the solution, bring the main guns online and tell the _Aragorn_ to do the same."

            "Captain," by the doubting tone in Commander MacKenzie's voice, MacDonald knew he was about to protest his decision to render both destroyer inoperable for a minute's time while their power recharged after firing the main guns.

            "I don't want to hear it Commander," MacDonald quickly put an end to any protest.  "It's the only way we're going to take that thing out in enough time to save the _Lancelot_.  Let's just hope it does the job and those fighters do theirs."

            "Main guns online Captain, _Aragorn_, reports the same."

            "Fire!"

            The main guns of both Alliance destroyers unleashed the full fury of their power, drilling through the armored hull of the station, striking it at its core.  A fiery series of explosions ripped through the station from the inside out as the destruction of the reactor caused a series of explosions to cascade throughout the base.  A shockwave ripped through space, throwing dozens of fighters momentarily off course and shaking the _Victory_.

            Fighters swarming outside of his ship, his squadrons now apparently gaining the momentum over those of the enemy, striking them down in great numbers, Captain MacDonald allowed himself a sigh of relief.  The battle was dying.  The _Mithrandir_ and the surviving White Stars of its wing had rescued the survivors of the _Curunir_ and arrived to join the battle with the _Victory_, its fighters and White Stars helping those of MacDonald's wing to finish off the remaining enemy fighters.  The Captain watched from the darkness of his bridge as the last of the enemy fighters was vanquished from the sky.

            When power returned, he wasted no time in checking his sensor display.  The _Lancelot_ survived the final seconds of attacks from the station as well as its destruction but the once mighty destroyer was crippled, its weapons, engines and several other systems disabled.  When MacDonald got his first look at the ship, he was stunned.  The hull, once crystal silver as was the hull of his _Victory_ was charred black with notable battle damage where the hull was marked with holes and marks from beam weapons slicing through it.

            "Commander MacKenzie, bring our fighters in and take the _Lancelot_ in tow.  Then get us the hell out of here.  Send a message to Babylon 5 advising them the strike was successful once we're safely back in Alliance territory."  Captain MacDonald, in the period of a minute since he gave the order to fire, had completely regained his calm demeanor that had faded somewhat during the battle.

            "Aye sir," Commander MacKenzie quickly ran a series of numbers through the computer, time estimates on how long it would take to accomplish the Captain's orders.  "It'll take at least three hours to reach Alliance territory having to tow the _Lancelot_ with us."

            "Very well," MacDonald commented with a resigned nod.  He rose from his chair, eyes from the bridge crew meeting him, all the crew wanting to congratulate him on the victory but none daring to do so.  "I'll be in my quarters, contact me once we're back in our territory."

********************

BABYLON 5; BLUE SECTOR  JANUARY 8, 2272, 22:50 EST 

********************

            After spending more than three hours at the reception where he received more congratulations that he could count, Barnes had to get away.  The party was beginning to wind down anyways and he felt little guilt retiring from it.  Not to say he did not enjoy himself.  He spent a great deal of time introducing Michael to the various Alliance dignitaries present who had not yet met his second in command.  He then spent time greeting and shaking hands with Alliance representatives and military leaders who had made his position possible, making small talk with many and discussing their current military situation with others.

            The rest of his time was spent catching up with Captain Leslie Griffon, who he was pleased to see in attendance.  He brought her up to date on everything that had been happening in his life since last they spoke, including various details about establishing the command center for the Army of Light on Babylon 5.  She, in turn, told him of the latest happenings on the EAS _Dark Thunder_, which crew members were still around, which were finding themselves involved with each other and what missions the destroyer had undertaken lately.  She added that they had almost missed the ceremony due to an assignment they had been on, tracking down raiders in Earth Alliance territory but they had a lead point them in the direction of the main raider base.  Its destruction allowed command to cut the _Dark Thunder_ and _Hades_ a couple days worth of leave at Babylon 5.  Barnes had, of course, asked about Sarah, commenting that he had hoped to see her at the reception.

            "And she wanted to be here to see you," Griffon answered.  "But after the attack on the _Michael_, she wanted to spend some time with her sister, it's been a while since they've seen each other too."  Seeing the look of disappointment in the eyes of the Admiral and feeling the need to make it disappear, she added, "She did mention something about catching up with you later though."  The two engaged in a healthy amount of small talk but Barnes could do nothing to get his mind off Captain MacDonald and wondering how the attack was progressing, getting a worse feeling as every minute passed by, knowing they should have heard something.

            Following his escape from the reception, he had stopped by the war room where Julia Rourke waited patiently for the news.  Barnes wished he could share the apparent optimism she displayed when she assured him that, as far as they could project, Captain MacDonald had the odds on his side.  "And we both know there's no one better than Mac to be running that fight," she added, hoping to give the Admiral some hope that their soldiers would still come out of this alive.

            "I know," Barnes admitted with a nod.  "I just want to see him come back from it."

            Julia seemed to consider then for the first time that Captain MacDonald might not return even if their forces won the battle.  "So do I," she said, Barnes taking note of a single tear rolling down her cheek.  He then excused himself, asking her to contact him when any news came in.

            With nothing else to do, he had then decided to retire to his quarters, knowing Julia would have no qualms with waking him up in the middle of the night to deliver news and he was tired, the result of a very long series of days that had reached their pinnacle this evening.  He realized he was doing nothing to help his fatigue by worrying about the attack force but it was a reaction he could not help.

            Barnes closed his eyes, trying again to rub the pain from behind them away as he stepped around the corner towards his quarters.  When he opened his eyes, for the briefest of moments, all the concerns of the galaxy disappeared from his mind.  Leaning on the door to his quarters, drumming wearily drumming her fingers against the cold metal was Sarah McDouglass.  She had not yet noticed him and Barnes paused in his step as he looked at her.  Her dark brown hair rolled over the shoulders of her dark blue Earth Force uniform, partially obscuring the cream color of her face.

            The Admiral gathered his strength and stepped forward, clearing his throat, gaining her attention.  She turned towards him, a smile gracing her red lips.  "Waiting for somebody?"  Barnes playfully asked.

            She took several steps towards where he stood on the opposite end of the corridor.  "You might say that," she said, her voice soft and soothing to Barnes as he heard it.  "I've been waiting for a while.  I spoke with Leslie, she said you left the reception more than thirty minutes ago, and I guessed you'd be here sooner."

            He did not give a prompt answer, as he did not wish to tell her exactly what he had been doing since leaving the reception.  "Yes, I had some," a hesitant pause.  He did not want to share the burden of his worries with her.  "I had some things to take care of before settling in for the night."

            She knew the answer was not a complete that he was holding something back but she accepted it.  "I'm sorry I didn't make it to the reception but I was the ceremony."  She too hesitated for a moment, not certain she wanted to bring up the issue.  "I saw your speech," she said timidly.  "It seemed like there was something more you wanted to say there but," she looked into his eyes; they betrayed that she was correct.  "But for some reason you were afraid to say it."

            Barnes considered for a moment how best to respond, wishing she hadn't brought that topic to light.  He had, of course, wanted to announce to the entire universe that they had launched a counterattack but he did not dare.  "I can't talk about it Sarah, not now at least."

            She frowned.  Jerry Barnes had known her long enough to know she wouldn't except an answer like that, despite his attempt.  "Come on Jerry, we know each other better than that."  She placed her hand on his chest, feeling his breathing.  "Whatever it is, it's bothering you, I can see that."  He could not hide that fact from her.  "Talk to me, she said, delicately tracing her fingers across the fine details of his uniform.

            Barnes gave in, knowing she would persist until he did so.  "You know about the attack on the Seventh Fleet?"  He asked an obvious question as a delaying tactic, trying to avoid getting to the point.

            "And about the Narns and about the _Michael_," she said with a dry grin.  "I did spend the last few hours talking to Lillie you know."

            Finally, he realized there would be no more delaying in saying what there was to say.  "This morning, President Sheridan and myself ordered a counterattack against those we believe to be responsible for all three attacks.  The _Victory_ and a taskforce of ships launched the attack almost four hours ago and we haven't heard anything from them.  I can't help but think that they might have been –"  He choked on the words.  It was no strange thing for him, the feeling of having ordered people to their deaths but this time felt different.  If they hadn't succeeded, his best friend had died and the Alliance stood on the brink of destruction, faced with a vastly superior enemy that had defeated five of their mightiest warships.

            Sarah's only response was to put her arms around him, Jerry responding in the same way.  For a time that he could not measure, they did not say anything, simply standing, embraced in each other, both considering the dark future the Alliance now seemed to be faced with.  Given the thoughts on both of their minds, Jerry considering the possibility of the Alliance falling to a hostile enemy and Sarah more focused on the loss of another friend, both were as at peace as they could be.

            "You're strong Jerry," Sarah whispered.  "No matter what the outcome, you'll make it through this."  Hearing her simple words, the Admiral felt his strength return.

            Approaching from behind Sarah, Barnes heard footsteps, the two of them quickly separating from each other, not wanting to betray signs of their close friendship to any passer by.  The approaching footsteps did not belong to anyone however, Julia Rourke quickly made her way through the corridor, abruptly stopping when she saw Barnes outside of his quarters, expecting the Admiral would have been in bed by now.

            Though she had not yet said anything, Barnes gained an amount of hope from the expression she carried on her face.  "Sir, we just received a transmission from the _Victory_."  She wasted no time waiting for Barnes to order her to continue.  "The attack was successful and they've made it back to Alliance territory.  They're en-route to our closest base to conduct repairs as we speak."

            "Casualties?"  Barnes did not delay in asking the most difficult of questions.

            "Captain MacDonald still does not have an exact count on the dead and wounded.  The _Curunir_ was lost and the _Lancelot_ crippled.  Nineteen White Stars lost, eight Blue Stars, still unknown the numbers of fighters destroyed."

            Barnes nodded, relieved, as Julia most certainly was, at the news that his friend had survived the mission.  He dismissed Rourke, telling her to brief Taylor and the President and that they would meet in the morning for another planning session, anticipating the enemy would respond and knowing they would need to be ready.

            After she left, he said his goodnights to Sarah and retired to his quarters.  The Alliance had gained a victory this day, the first under his leadership but it came at a great cost.  As he tried to sleep, he could not help the feeling that there would be greater costs to come in the future.

***

            The black cruiser shot from hyperspace, arriving in a field of rubble.

            From the bridge, he surveyed the wreckage in front of him.  Leaning back, a smile crept its way onto his face.  "Well done Admiral Barnes," the ship turned and another jump point formed on the screen in front of him.  His orders were to simply verify what there intelligence told them, not to delay their journey any longer than necessary.  "Well done."

To be continued … Chapter Five: While attending a conference of Alliance leaders on Minbar, Jerry Barnes joins the crew of the IAS _Night's Eye_ when they make first contact.  Back on Babylon 5, Lochley begins to consider her future.


	6. Chapter Five

**  ************** CHAPTER FIVE ******************

INTERSTELLAR ALLIANCE HEADQUARTERS; TUZANOR, MINBAR  
 FEBRUARY 1, 2272, 09:01 EST 

********************

            Gazing out of the many wide windows in the headquarters of the Interstellar Alliance across the vast, beautiful city of Tuzanor, his arms crossed, Jerry Barnes continued to wonder exactly why he was there.  Since last week when President Sheridan had first mentioned to him this gathering of Alliance leaders and the need for a representative from his command to be present, he had been lobbying Vice Admiral Taylor for the job, Mike being far more comfortable with the political game than he.  Sheridan believed however that it would be better for Barnes to attend and there was little arguing with the President once his mind had been made up.

            Despite the President wanting him here, he still saw little need for it.  Sheridan only wanted him there to give a single address during the weeklong conference between him and heads of state from all the member worlds, an address detailing the needs for continuing increases in their White Star Fleet construction efforts.  He had delivered the address to the gathered leaders two days ago but the President had insisted he stick around for the remainder of the conference rather than returning immediately to Babylon 5, believing some of the leaders may wish to speak with him.  Now, he had found himself aimlessly wandering the halls of the headquarters building for the past two days.  He considered journeying out into Tuzanor but deciding against it, believing he had seen as much of the city as he could during his three years living on the planet.

            The plus side of it was, he was not exactly needed on Babylon 5 at the moment.  The past few weeks had been marked by virtually no activity on any front.  Since the successful attack by the _Victory_ against the enemy staging area, there had been no additional contact with those aliens by any Alliance member world.  After one week of no additional attacks, Barnes had proposed sending scout ships further into what they believed to be the enemy's territory but President Sheridan ruled against it, saying that he would rather wait for them than to provoke an attack by sending ships deeper into their territory.

            Without the alien threat looming on the horizon, there had been little for him to worry about.  The Narn fleet returned, as ordered, to their own territory where Warleader Na'Goth was sanctioned but not removed from command of their forces, despite lobbying by several Alliance officials to do so.  Barnes knew, removing him from command would take the chains off and allow him to publicly announce that the Kha'Ri had sanctioned and approved of the attack against the Centauri.  Therefore, he was left in command to perfect his plan for war against the Centauri, to prepare to carry it out another day.

            Barnes was confident in their ability to keep the Na'Goth in check but was still unsure about those who had attacked the Seventh Fleet.  During the past weeks, he had considered it a possibility that the destruction of their base by the _Victory_ had been enough of a show of force to convince them to abandon their plans for the Alliance but he somehow doubted it.  As much as he considered it, he could offer no real explanation for the sudden disappearance of the new threat.  Though many believed the speculation that they had simply decided the Alliance was not worth the trouble, Barnes knew they would be seen again, with the precision of their first few attacks, he knew whatever plans they had were not yet abandoned.

            He was however thankful for this pause in the attacks against the Alliance.  The Army of Light along with the member worlds were well on the way to rebuilding their forces with increased vigor under the direction of Admiral Barnes.  Even Earth Force, who suffered the tremendous loss of the Seventh Fleet, estimated that they could have their forces restored to full strength in less than six months.  The rest of the member worlds were rapidly rebuilding their forces, despite their beliefs that it was unnecessary to be producing ships at such a rapid rate.

            Jerry Barnes considered returning to his quarters for the day, having a mass of reports that required his attention but, for an odd reason, those did not seem quite as important today.  He did not feel as though his time would be best spent working through paperwork, that he would be needed elsewhere today.  Then again, he also considered that it was a convenient excuse to get out of doing paperwork.

            Sounds of footsteps against the wooden floor resonated from the down the corridor, drawing Barnes' attention away from the window and towards the sound.  A figure, clad in the black robes of the Anla'Shok, approached from an open doorway at the far end of the hall, walking with a graceful stride.  The figure maneuvered alongside him, removing the black cloak, revealing the face of a beautiful young woman, a face Barnes had seen only once before but could not forget.

            "Val'Na Johnson," Barnes said, cocking his head towards her, pleased at seeing the young Ranger.  He recalled, after the resolution of the Narn incident, hoping to have the opportunity to meet her one-day.

            "Admiral Barnes," she said with a smile and a bow of respect to him.

            "I was not aware you were on planet," Barnes said, turning away from the window and facing solely towards her.  Though he reviewed their fleet deployments daily, he realized that it was not feasible for him to know where all of their ships were at all times.

            Another grin from the young woman as she answered.  "The _Night's Eye_ returned from its patrol earlier this morning, the council wanted to debrief us on the situation with the Narns last months and also to verify that our long range sensors didn't record anything from when their fleet was attacked."

            "By the way," Barnes continued.  "I don't believe I ever had the chance to personally commend you on the actions of you and your crew during the incident with Na'Goth.  If you hadn't been there, the resolution to that crisis might have played out very differently."  Projections had shown that if the _Night's Eye_ had not located the Narn fleet, they would have made it all the way to their target before being located, meaning the Alliance would have been at war.

            "Thank you Admiral, though the official Alliance commendation was more than enough credit."  By the expression on her face as she accepted the praise, one could tell she was not used to receiving such often.   "But I can't take all the credit.  You were the one who knew how to handle Na'Goth, you knew how to outsmart him and you knew how to beat him."

            Barnes' smile diminished, shaking his head, believing he was being given more credit than was deserved.  "I took a gamble," Barnes opposed.  "And it paid off.  I can't lie and say I was sure about how Na'Goth was going to react.  If there's one person in this galaxy who isn't predictable, it's Warleader Na'Goth."

            "I take it you've ran into him before?"  Natalie asked the obvious question.

            Barnes nodded, experiences he would rather have forgotten.  "More than anyone rightfully should in their lifetime."  The two shared a reserved laugh at the Admiral's dry joke.  His look of seriousness quickly returned as the Admiral continued.  "Na'Goth is the type who tries to get what he wants and doesn't care who he pisses off or has to knock down in order to get what he wants."

            Johnson accepted his answer with a nod of her own.  "Well, I for one am glad that your bluff did pay off.  I personally wasn't looking forward to engaging a few hundred Narn cruisers."  She paused slightly, looking into the Admiral's eyes, as he seemed to be thinking.  "Out of curiosity Admiral, would you have ordered us to attack Narn the fleet had Na'Goth not backed down?"

            Barnes grinned.  "Do you really believe I would have ordered you to your deaths in such a way?"  He asked, a dry, sarcastic tone to his voice as he began walking, leading their way down the hall.

            "I suppose that answers my question," Natalie replied, displaying her youthful enthusiasm as she laughed with Barnes.  "But seriously Admiral, I wanted to thank you for the commendation for my crew.  In the wake of the loss of the Seventh Fleet and the other attacks, it did a lot to boost moral, made everybody feel like they're doing something right."

            She again displayed that she was not used to receiving any form of praise.  "It was more than deserved Val'Na," the two rounded a corner into an adjoining corridor populated by a dozen other humans and Minbari.  "If not for the actions of you and your crew, finding Na'Goth's fleet, the Narn Regime and the Centauri Republic would be at war with each other and the rest of the Interstellar Alliance would be stuck somewhere in the middle."

            "Do you really think it would have come to full scale war?"

            Barnes considered the question for a moment.  It seemed obvious that if the Centauri were attacked, they would respond in kind and the Narns would continue their offensive, leading to a war.  Then, he considered the situation the Alliance was in with their enemy.  The Alliance was attacked, the Alliance responded and now there was nothing but waiting.  "I don't know," Barnes admitted he could not predict every occurrence the galaxy, despite his many attempts to do so.  "The Narns and the Centauri go through an endless cycle of hatred and violence with each other.  It never ends, it never will end, it only pauses.  The only thing that is never determined about that cycle is when it continues and when it pauses."

            She measured the Admiral's words against what her Ranger training had taught her, that there was a possibility for peace in the galaxy.  "You sound so confident about that.  People can change Admiral."  She addressed the larger issue Barnes brought with his statement.

            "Do you really believe that Val'Na?"  Barnes asked, the demeanor in his voice noticeably changing as the conversation moved from casual to more of a debate as she challenged his assumption.  "Do you really believe hate can disappear?  That passion can fade?  That love can die?  People can change, their beliefs can be tainted, their perceptions can be altered, but what defines people, the qualities that they are made of cannot be changed.  Part of what makes the Narns is their hate for the Centauri.  Part of what makes the Centauri is their need for glory.  Those can't be changed."

            Natalie thought for a moment, bearing in mind what the Admiral had said.  She had long been a fan of history and could not deny Barnes' observation was historically accurate since the two races had been in contact with each other.   "Perhaps you're right Admiral but I'd like to still believe that there's some hope for peace in this galaxy, even if that hope is against the odds."

            "Believe me Val'Na, I hope and pray for peace everyday," Barnes abruptly stopped walking, turning and looking into the young woman's eyes.  She was so young, innocent, Barnes wondered if he ever had that look in his eyes when he was her age.  "But, with my job, I can't afford to let my guard down blindly hoping for peace.  If I ever do start believing in peace, people die."

            It was then that Natalie realized exactly the depth of responsibilities Admiral Jerry Barnes was burdened with.  She had never thought of the Admiral's position in such a context.  She also considered that he probably had a great deal to be attending to.  "Well Admiral, I'm sure you have a lot to do and I have my own duties to attend to."  They stopped as she gave another bow of respect in parting.

            "Take care of yourself Val'Na Johnson."

            "You as well Admiral Barnes," she said, rising from the bow.

            She turned around, proceeding back down the corridor from which they came.  Watching her glide down the dark wooden hallway, Barnes had a thought and took only a moment to come to a decision.  "Val'Na Johnson!"  The Admiral all but ran to catch up to her as she stopped and turned towards him, raising her eyebrows in curiosity at his sudden movement.  "As commander of the Army of Light, I have the privilege to conduct inspection tours of our warships and, it has been several years since I've been onboard one of our strike cruisers."

            "I know," she commented with a smile and a nod.  "The last time, as I recall, was in mid-2268 when you paid a brief but eventful visit to the IAS _Shard of Night_."  She cleverly danced around the subject hinted at by Barnes.

            "You heard about that?"  Barnes asked, beginning to wonder where the limits to Natalie Johnson were.  "Exactly how much do you know about me Val'Na Johnson?"

            "I'm something of a fan of history Admiral and you can't study history without studying the people who make it."  Barnes became somewhat embarrassed at the comment.  He had never considered or tried not to consider, that history would remember him in any way, let alone that he would be the subject of history.

            "I can't say I'm proud of whatever history I've made," Barnes commented dejectedly.  Too many events in his past had been marked by blood, the blood of his enemies, his friends and those caught in the middle.

            Seeing the mournful expression that had found its way to the Admiral's face, Natalie gave a glowing, forgiving smile.  "You should be proud of what you've done Admiral.  Not many people can take credit for stopping as much evil as you have.  No roads are easy and sometimes we fall along the way but you have to accept that you do the best you can and that the consequences are the best they could have been."

            Barnes needed to take no time to consider what she had said, her words sunk in immediately.  "Thank you Val'Na Johnson."  A glimmer of hope returned to his face and eyes.  "Now, about that inspection tour," he took the opportunity to return to the original subject.

            "One hour?"

            "One hour."

***

            In hyperspace, unbeknownst to those on Minbar, a dark cruiser, its shape that of four elongated, double-pointed daggers, one in the center with one on each side and one below, a weapon in all senses, slid through the red void of hyperspace, the lights being absorbed into its hull.  Gazing into the nothingness through a large window on the bridge of the ship, a tall figure stood motionless.  He was covered entirely in pure black robes with dark red and blue markings upon the shoulders, chest and sleeves, marking his status of Narcon.

            Another figure slid behind him, clad in heavy black armor marked on the neck and shoulders with gold and dark blue.  His face, blue skinned with a v-shaped, ridged forehead, bumps along the edges and small, deep red eyes that almost glowed, was uncovered.  He looked to the Narcon; unsure of the mission they had set out upon.  He had trained for many years to kill their enemies; he did not like the idea of a mission into their territory to do anything aside from that.

            "You are troubled," the Narcon spoke, raising his hand towards the other figure.

            "I am."

            "Why?"

            He became frustrated, his breathing increased and his red eyes glowed with fire.  "We have proven we can kill them.  There one attack against us was nothing but a fool's showing.  We should strike at them now with all force and bring them to their knees!"  He clenched his fist as his voice became alive with fire.  "We both know there is little time left."  He brought up the most poignant point he could in the debate.

            "Indeed," the Narcon answered smugly, still not giving him the recognition of turning away from the window to face him.  "Our last estimates gave the planet five more years, maybe less, maybe more but that does not mean we can act foolishly.  Indeed, it means we must proceed more cautiously.  The Kaishar briefed you on our plans of action and you accepted them.  Why now do you debate it?"

            "The Kaishar is a young fool!"  He hissed in reprise.  "One who is leading our empire to death."

            "Then why do you not oppose him?"  The Narcon asked calmly, unfazed by the verbal contest from him.  "As Executor of our forces you command a great deal of respect and a great deal of power.  If anyone is properly equipped to oppose the Kaishar, it would be you."  The Executor took a moment to think and before he could answer, the Narcon continued.  "I will tell you why.  It is because you know it is your duty to follow him.  You know, as we all do, that any distraction from the cause with so little time remaining will only serve to make us weak when the time comes.  You know that we must stand to oppose the destruction that is to come and that there is no time for such internal disputes."

            The Executor was forced to admit he was correct, with the time they had remaining, power struggles could not be afforded.  Though he did not agree with the Kaishar, he could not argue that his plan would eventually bring a victory, though it was not with the speed he would prefer.  Still, he could not go against the order of things, the Kaishar was meant to rule, he was meant to follow and command.  "But afterwards?"

            "Afterwards," the Narcon turned to face him for the first time, pulling his robe down, revealing his own face, blue, ridged with red eyes but with signs of more age than that of the Executor.  He placed his right hand on the cold black armor of the Executor.  "Afterwards, after our great crusade to solidify our place in the galaxy is complete, I will join you Tari'Kan.  Join you in placing a ruler on our thrown worthy of the great, historic title of Kaishar."

            The sound of metal on metal sounded as another armored figure, his armor marked with a single dark blue emblem upon the left shoulder approached.  "Your pardon Executor," he spoke with nervousness in his voice, not accustomed to addressing the Executor or being the presence of a Narcon.  "We are approaching their territory, it will not be long before their hyperspace scanners lock onto us.  The Kantarh has ordered our jamming systems brought to maximum so as to avoid detection for as long as possible."

            "Very good, tell the Kantarh to slow to one third speed and approach along standard hyperspace routes.  You will advise me immediately if any of their ships approach us."  He nodded in response and quickly disappeared into the blackness of the interior.

            "Approaching along the normal routes?  They will see us in moments."

            "Is that not the idea?"

***

            "And as you can see Admiral, the recently installed enhanced cooling systems allow our molecular pulsars to fire with almost a sixty percent greater efficiency than previously by dispersing the heat outputted from the weapon discharge along a wider area, allowing for the weapons to fire at a faster rate without fear of overheating."  Val'Na Johnson pointed out the cooling statistics displayed on the tactical screen in front of Admiral Barnes.  In the ninety minutes he had been onboard the ship, she had showed him every major feature of the warship, many of the minor ones and had moved on to discussing relevant yet utterly uninteresting points about the design and function of the _Night's Eye_.

            "Quite impressive Val'Na Johnson," Barnes said, as he rose from the console and surveyed the bridge where the crew dutifully attended to their assigned tasks.  "You have a fine crew and a fine ship," the Admiral announced, taking several steps towards the center of the bridge.

            "Thank you Admiral, I'm quite proud of both."  Johnson broke the few seconds of silence as Barnes continued to look around the bridge.

            "How does she fly?"  Barnes asked, vigorously clapping his hands together a single time.

            "Quite well Admiral," she answered, smiling at the Admiral's sudden change in demeanor, not having anticipated he would want to see the ship in action.  She also took advantage of the new opportunity to brag on her ship and crew.  "She's one of the fastest cruisers in service.  Three days ago we overtook the _Night's Dagger_ during speed trials in the Alcadia system."

            Barnes faced her.  The bridge crew had fallen silent as they waited for him to give an order.  "Let's see how she handles; a quick run around the block perhaps." He suggested.

            Natalie joined the Admiral at the center of the bridge near the command chair.  "Engineering, activate gravitic propulsion, bring us to full power.  Helm, prepare to ease us away from planetary orbit, ahead one quarter."  

She was prepared to issue the departure order when an alarm chimed at the communications stations.  Both Barnes and Johnson quickly looked to Makeel who was already working his panel in response to the signal.  "Val'Na, incoming signal from the Minbari cruiser _Leshann_.  Priority is marked as urgent, the Captain says he needs to speak with you immediately."

"On screen."

The image of an aging Minbari of the warrior caste faded onto the screen, both Barnes and Johnson turning to face it.  He spent several seconds looking both of them over with reservation before speaking.  "Val'Na Johnson," he said with a nod to her and then turned to Admiral Barnes.  "Admiral Barnes, I was not aware you were onboard the _Night's Eye_."

"Inspection tour."  It was a simple explanation.

He seemed to accept the explanation as he looked back to the commander of the _Night's Eye_.  "Val'Na Johnson, our mid-range hyperspace probes have picked up something on approach to the planet.  They are unable to get an exact fix or classification but we are most definite that it is some kind of large ship."  He hesitated, not positive the decision their leaders had made in regard to this matter was correct, giving such an important assignment to such a young human.  "Odds stand that it is nothing but with all the leaders of the Alliance gathered on Minbar, we can take no chances.  The Minbari fleet is mobilizing, as is the White Star Fleet, however, Vice President Delen has directed that an Anla'Shok ship enter hyperspace in front of our forces to identify the ship.  She suggested that your command would be the choice for that mission.  We are transmitting the coordinates to you now."

Johnson did not seem to understand the disconcerted tone of the Minbari's voice.  Though there was cause for concern with a mysterious ship on approach to Minbar, there were any number of possible reasons a ship could not be identified that did not involve something mysterious or evil.  Still, she recognized the call of urgent duty.  "Understood, we will be underway immediately."  As each gave a bow of respect to the other, his less noticeable than hers, the image upon the screen faded.  She faced away from the screen, snapping towards the helm.  "Lay in the coordinates given to us by the _Leshann_ and prepare to jump."

As he quickly went to work carrying out her orders, she turned back to Barnes he remained a statue at the center of the bridge.  "Admiral, we can have a shuttle prepped to take you back to Minbar immediately.

"Why?"  Barnes raised a single eyebrow to her.  "I did say I wanted to see how your ship performed, what better time than the present."

She allowed a slight smile as she nodded and took her place in the command chair, Barnes taking a position behind her.  "Tactical, activate darklight mode.  Helm, jump when ready."  On all sensor screens that watched, the _Night's Eye_ vanished.  A jump point formed and disappeared seconds later.

********************

CAPTAIN LOCHLEY'S OFFICE; BABYLON 5  FEBRUARY 1, 2272, 11:46 EST 

********************

**            "And tomorrow the _Roosevelt_is scheduled to drop-off replacements for the fighters Gamma Squadron lost last month.  Once the new pilots have been oriented, we'll be able to place them back on the patrol schedule.  Alpha, Delta and Zeta squadrons definitely won't mind the break from all this overtime they've been pulling lately."  Though Gamma had not been completely annihilated when they joined Admiral Barnes on the mission to rescue the _Michael_, they had taken enough losses that it forced Commander Corwin to move them off the standard patrol schedule until they received replacements.**

Captain Elizabeth Lochley rested her elbow on the surface of her desk, her face resting inside her hand as she listened uninterestingly to Commander David Corwin's daily status update, tapping a pen against her desk with her free hand.  This meeting, that always took place immediately before they adjourned to lunch, either separately or together, had become a constant routine for the Captain and Executive Officer.  Lochley, the past week, was beginning to see little point in them.  When they first began this tradition, it had been as much about getting to know each other and talk about what was on their minds as it had been about discussing station status.  Now, all it seemed to be was Corwin summarizing reports she had already ready and her issuing orders for the remainder of the day.

Lochley looked up, for the first time during this meeting, at David.  Despite the ten years they had spent, working side by side, she still often saw him as a young officer, still fresh and bright-eyed because, in many ways, Corwin had never lost those qualities, they had simply aged with the man he had become today.  As she thought about how long it had been since she had first accepted the assignment on Babylon 5, she found herself wondering one thing.

"David, what are you still doing here?"  She said, harshly breaking away from the subjects of their briefing.

Corwin recognized the question but did not want to address the issue.  "Finishing the daily briefing Captain, like we always do."  His answer was unsure and betrayed that he did not want to address this subject.

"You know what I mean," annoyed, Lochley persisted.  "Barnes offered you the _Iron Forge_."

"He told you," Corwin was melancholic as he spoke.  When Admiral Barnes had offered him the commission, he had asked that he not tell Captain Lochley about it, hoping to avoid a confrontation such as this.

Lochley slowly stood, circling around and moving in front of her first officer, sitting down on the other side of her desk.  "He told me because he was worried, he also told me you turned it down," she said with concern, looking into his eyes, trying to get a feeling for what he was thinking right then.  "David, it's the chance you've been waiting for," she threw her hands into the air.  "Hell, it's the chance of a lifetime.  The _Iron Forge_ is the Alliance's newest destroyer; she's barely two weeks out of space dock, Barnes must have a list of people a mile long wanting to command that ship."  She relaxed slightly, her voice mellowing from the height it had reached.  "I guess I just don't understand."

"I could say the same thing about you Captain," Corwin hurriedly changed the subject to something he knew the Captain would not want to discuss.

Of all people, he was top on the list of people she did not want to know about that.  "And what do you mean Commander?"

"I mean General Pack offering you one of the command positions in the Seventh Fleet once it's rebuilt.  The EAS _Angelus_, the newest Warlock class destroyer under construction I believe and a promotion to General."  She appeared stunned, having no idea how Corwin could have heard, thinking she and Pack were the only ones who knew and making a mental note not to underestimate her XO again.  Upon seeing her expression, Corwin continued.  "I have my sources Captain, I heard about it the other day."

"The difference is, I haven't yet declined the offer."

"But you will."

She leaned back further on her desk, conceding the brief confrontation.  "This is my home David.  I'm not young like you are; I don't need to be taking every chance for career advancement that comes around the corner.  My career doesn't have much time left and I'm content to let the time there is left wind out here on Babylon 5."  Seeing he was about to respond, Lochley continued.  "But you're not me David.  When I promoted you to Lieutenant Commander ten years ago, it made you the highest ranked officer in the Army of Light at the time.  You helped build the Army of Light as a place for good soldiers that had nowhere else to go.  You can't advance just sitting here and I think the station still might be able to manage without you."

"Are you telling me to leave Captain?"

She sighed.  Despite ten years of working with each other, there were still some things they did not understand about the other.  "I'm telling you to consider what you've done up until now and consider what you still can do.  Jerry told me before he left for Minbar that the position is still yours if you want it.  Just seriously think about it."

A grin as a thought came to him.  "I'll tell you what Captain, I'll give Barnes' offer some serious consideration if you give Pack's offer some serious consideration."

"Deal."  She dismissed him, saying there was no need to finish the briefing, that she already knew it all.  They adjourned for the day.  She settled back in at her desk, leaning back and picking up another report from the top of it.  Waste management, it always seemed to be waste management when she was having a bad day.  One time, four years ago, during another bad day when a waste management report was the first she found, she had actually conducted something of an investigation to determine if there was some great conspiracy behind it but soon dismissed it as an odd coincidence.

Barely making her way through two more reports, she soon became frustrated.  The confrontation with Corwin echoed in her mind as she began to ask herself what she was still doing on Babylon 5.  There was the obvious answer, despite the station losing some of its importance in the past ten years, with the Alliance government moving to Minbar, was that Babylon 5 was still considered at the top of the food chain as far as choice assignments went.

Then there was the less obvious of reasons.  Though, after the Narn crisis, she and Jerry Barnes had decided it would be best to put their feelings for each other aside for the time being, part of her still hoped there was a chance for something in the future.  With everything basically calming down for the Alliance, she considered that maybe that time would be sooner rather than later.  She laughed at herself, as she considered exactly how silly she was being but the truth of it was, she was tired and wanted her life to settle down.  She only wondered if she wasn't foolishly hoping for something that would not happen.

"Oh stop it Elizabeth," she scolded herself, running her fingers through her hair.  She returned to work, wondering if this was still the place for her and if she had the courage to leave after all this time.

********************

IAS _NIGHT'S EYE_; HYPERSPACE  
 FEBRUARY 1, 2272, 11:49 EST 

********************

            "Still nothing on sensors Val'Na," the report came from tactical station of the Alliance cruiser.  Admiral Barnes nervously paced the bridge while Val'Na Johnson remained seated, motionless in the command chair.  They had reached the coordinates given to them by the Minbari cruiser several minutes before and were still unable to detect any sign of a ship. 

Johnson spoke as Barnes was beginning to.  "Continue scanning, alter course to take us another two degrees off the coordinates given to us by the _Leshann_, advise engineering to reroute all available power to the sensors, try and increase resolution."  Barnes nodded in approval as Natalie serenely issued her orders.  She was handling this situation far better than he.

The search continued in this matter for several more minutes, tactical reporting no contacts, Natalie ordering minor course changes and increased power to the sensors and Barnes simply waiting.  He was confident in the abilities of the crew of the _Night's Eye_ and the ability of the Minbari fleet to fend off anything that came towards Minbar but he could not help but have a feeling of trepidation given this situation.  It was not an everyday occurrence that an unidentified ship attempted to sneak up on then from the depths of hyperspace.

After several more minutes of unbearable waiting, a different sound finally emerged from the constant repetitive string of noises being emitted from the tactical station.  The human Ranger quickly checked the display, rapidly pecking a series of controls as he analyzed the new data arriving on his console.  "Val'Na, detecting an object not far from here.  It initially showed up as nothing but a sensor echo," both Barnes and Johnson cleared a path across the bridge, standing over the shoulder of the young Ranger, studying his display as he reported on the sensor findings.  

"But the sensors locked onto it and now we can definitely tell it's a ship.  Unknown configuration," he gently tapped a series of three controls, changing the screen to display a wavering silhouette of the ship they were now tracking.  "I've never seen anything quite like it before, doesn't remotely match anything in the ship's databanks."  Barnes gazed at the screen, taken aback by the image upon it.  Though he had not seen this particular design of ship before, the similarities in design to those that destroyed the Seventh Fleet, attacked the Narns and those MacDonald destroyed could not be missed.  He surmised that this was some sort of heavy cruiser, a flagship of the enemy's fleet.

"Sound battle stations, go to red alert and advise the Minbari fleet we have incoming hostile," Barnes ordered, much to the surprise of Johnson and the rest of the bridge crew.

"You know what that ship is?"  Johnson asked, turning to face Barnes as all eyes on the bridge turned towards him.

"Possibly," Barnes said as he walked to the center of the bridge.

"Do it," Johnson ordered, quickly following Barnes' path.  The lights on the bridge dimmed further, those on consoles becoming slightly brighter to allow for easier viewing in a battle situation, red klaxons dimly lighting the bridge from overhead.  She came to Barnes' side as he stood beside the command chair, gaze fixed upon the screen in front of him as the _Night's Eye_ slid through hyperspace.  "Care to enlighten me Admiral?"

He bent down, whispering into her ear, not wanting to cause unneeded alarm to the rest of her crew with what was to be said.  "The design of the ship is similar to those that destroyed the Seventh Fleet and those that Captain MacDonald attacked last month.  If I'm right, then that is some sort of fleet command ship out there meaning there's probably more of their ships waiting that we haven't detected yet."

The gravity of the situation began to sink in with the young Ranger Captain.  "Are you sure they're hostile?  We don't know what their intentions could be."

"We can't take that chance," Barnes quickly countered.  "If we attack them before they're ready, we stand a chance of taking them before the whole of their forces are prepared, we stand the best chance of destroying them."  His mind had already been made and a plan of action decided upon.

Natalie Johnson however had not completely made her decision.  Her training had taught her to keep an open mind in all situations, especially where it could involve preventing a fight where one was not needed.  "Admiral, we don't know why they are here.  As far as we know, they can't detect the _Night's Eye_ while it's in darklight mode, I don't think it would hurt us to get a little bit closer, see if they actually are staging some kind of an attack force."  She lowered her voice to a whisper as well.  "Even if we fall, the Minbari fleet has already been alerted and they'll be able to repel any attack against the planet."

Though he did not like it, Admiral Barnes conceded that she was right.  That was the differences in their beliefs that came with experience; he looked at many situations from the worst-case perspective, his experience having taught him to do so.  While she was still young, lacking what he had experienced during his career, and looked at everything with openness in her mind, that it may not be exactly as it appeared.

He spent a second looking into her eyes that quietly waited for his order.  His head snapped away from her and back towards the tactical station where the Ranger attending it also waited for an order from the Admiral.  "Tell the Minbari fleet to hold back inside their system but maintain combat readiness.  Advise that we will investigate that ship and report back if assistance is needed or if they appear to be hostile."  A pause as Barnes considered that they might not be able to report back.  "Also tell them, that if we don't report back in twenty minutes, to assume that there is a hostile fleet in hyperspace and take action accordingly."

"At once Admiral."

"Helm, lay in an intercept course," Johnson immediately followed the Admiral's orders with ones of her own.  "One third speed, take us in nice and slow, let's see if we can't get a good look at that thing.  Passive sensors only, we don't want to draw any undo attention to ourselves."

Slowly, the battle cruiser _Night's Eye_ slid through hyperspace.  After several minutes of penetrating through currents of energy, it emerged behind and on top of a massive black form.  It hung still in the shifting tides of hyperspace, almost lifeless.  No lights marked its black hull aside from a dim blue and white glow from two engines on each of the wings.  The red light of hyperspace melted into the hull of the cruiser, not reflecting the dimension around it.  The black form of the _Night's Eye_, still apparently undetected,settled in above the large, dagger-shaped ship.

Across the bridge of the Alliance warship, all stood and gasped as the enormous ship came into view.  With the exception of the Victory destroyers, they had never seen a ship the size of this.  While the destroyers were graceful, elegant in their design, a sign that they were bringers of peace, it was obvious the ship with which they were now faced was made for a single purpose, to bring death, destruction and to conquer its enemies.

For Admiral Jerry Barnes, there was no longer any denying it, this ship belonged to the race that had attacked the Seventh Fleet, the same race that had seemingly disappeared after Captain MacDonald had scored a victory against one of their bases.  The only question to be answered was what one of their ships was doing on approach to Minbar.  It was a question Admiral Barnes would answer with the utmost haste.

"Are we detecting any other ships?"  The Admiral asked, keeping his voice quiet, an unnecessary habit he had developed when going into situations such as these, a representation of his desire to remain undetected.

The Ranger at tactical took his eyes briefly away from the screen to check the sensor display, quickly returning them to the cruiser once he had the information requested.  "Just that one ship Admiral.  We could switch to a more active scanning mode but the cruiser might detect us if we transfer any more power to the sensors then they are currently operating at."

"No unusual sensor readings of any kind that might indicate another ship or a fleet?"  Johnson followed up on Barnes' question in an attempt to eliminate any doubt.

He checked the display again.  "No other sensor contacts within range Val'Na."

"Any power signatures that would indicate active weapon or defensive systems?"

"Negative Val'Na."

"You're call Admiral," Johnson indicated, turning to face him while he still gazed at the black form hovering the middle of the screen.

Barnes took a deep breath and exhaled, his decision was made.  "Maneuver us into a position directly in front of the cruiser, turn us to face them then prepare to deactivate darklight mode.  As soon as you do, send a coded message to the Minbari fleet advising them of our situation.  Hopefully they'll be more concerned with us rather than the transmission we're sending."  He turned to tactical, meeting eyes with the young Ranger.  "Be prepared to charge our weapons and defenses but do not do so until I give the order."

"Yes sir."

At his direction, the Ranger warship moved across the long, immense form of the black cruiser, positioning in front of the ship and pivoted in a half circle, coming to a stop facing the unknown cruiser.  Within seconds, the _Night's Eye_ became visible to the enemy cruiser that did not waver when faced with the smaller Alliance cruiser bearing upon it.  On the bridge, once they were sure the cruiser had seen them, Barnes asked if they detected weapons charging, receiving a gratifying response that they were not.  It also made his next decision a difficult one, one with which he needed to be cautious.

"Open a channel," the Admiral hesitantly ordered.  "Send this message in interlac."

"Acknowledged Admiral," the Brakiri manning the operations station answered, swiftly running his fingers across the console.  "Translating and transmitting message now."

Barnes straightened in his stance as he looked towards the screen.  "This is Admiral Jerry Barnes of the Interstellar Alliance, speaking from the Anla'Shok cruiser _Night's Eye_.  We mean you no harm.  If you come in peace, please give us an indication."  There was silence.  Waiting several seconds, Barnes looked at operations where the Brakiri reported the message had been properly translated into interlac and sent to the cruiser.  Barnes returned to looking at the cruiser and waiting for some kind of response.

As the seconds ticked by, he became greatly impatient.  He began pacing, wishing they would offer some kind of an answer, preferring even that they fire on his ship rather than continuing to make them wait.  At least having them open fire would be a clear sign rather than this indecision.

"Perhaps they didn't understand the message," Johnson offered bringing little ease to the Admiral's mind.

"Perhaps they're waiting for us to let our guard down before they destroy us."

Several more minutes of silent awaiting onboard the bridge of the cruiser before an alert sounded at the operations station.  "Admiral," the Ranger reported instantly as he quickly worked the console controls.  "We're receiving a message from the cruiser, the message is in," he hesitated; startled by the information he was viewing.  "The message is in English Admiral, they're requesting face to face communications with you sir." 

Barnes and Johnson exchanged a long, odd look, both taken aback.  Where they had both come here expecting a fight, it now seemed that a dialogue could be possible.  Barnes composed himself an ordered a channel open on the main screen.  The image faded into view, a black background with the sole figure in the foreground all that was visible.  Dressed in black robes accented by dark blue and red marking, he was the size and build of an average human.  His face was blue, scaly, an accented v-shaped forehead dotted by ridges.  His eyes were red, small, set deep within his scull almost glowing as he focused solely on Admiral Barnes.

"Admiral Barnes," the figure spoke in perfect non-accented English, much to the surprise of all the non-human members of the crew of the Alliance warship.  For many of them, learning English and how to properly pronounce and speak the language had been a difficult part of their training; it was astonishing to see someone accomplish it so easily.  "I am the Narcon of the Keilmar Empire."  He spoke proudly though his face betrayed no emotion, his black lips barely moving.  "I come to you representing our Kaishar and bring for your President an offer of peace for the Interstellar Alliance."

Having in no way expected this, Barnes could not react without delay.  "I," another moment of hesitation as the Admiral began speaking.  "I am not authorized to speak for the Interstellar Alliance in such matters."  He took a moment of consideration, attempting to study the reaction of the Narcon's face, failing to do so.  "I will however offer you escort to Minbar where you can meet with President Sheridan and the rest of the Alliance council."

There was no hesitation from the Narcon, his response followed instantly.  "I accept your offer Admiral Barnes, we will fall into formation with you for the journey.  Perhaps you would contact President Sheridan and make my introduction, to pave the way for our meeting upon my arrival."

Barnes was unnerved at the cordial attitude displayed by the enemy whom he now spoke with.  If his assumption was correct, this was the enemy, who only weeks before, slaughtered thousands of Earth Force officers with the complete destruction of the Seventh Fleet.  Now, these two representatives of their respective races were exchanging an almost casual dialogue with each other as a prelude to an official meeting.  Looking past his suspicions and seeing that the crew of the _Night's Eye_ seemed to be eagerly awaiting his response, he decided to continue playing the game.  "Of course, I will contact President Sheridan immediately.  If you will follow us, we'll clear all the hyperspace lanes to make for a quiet journey to Minbar."  Johnson picked up on Barnes' hidden order and discreetly made her way to communications where she issued the orders for the hyperspace lanes to be cleared, a precaution in case this still did erupt into a battle.

"Your cooperation and hospitality will be remembered Admiral," the image faded again replaced by that of the black cruiser.

Barnes stood, a silent statue all eyes on the bridge looked to him for direction.  Throughout his life, he had been faced with many tense and difficult situations but never had one so quite unnerved him as the brief conversation with the representative from the race he now knew were called the Keilmar or he assumed that was their name.  The rest of the crew seemed to be equally distressed from witnessing the brief exchange between the two.  Everything about it seemed too simple and cordial given the circumstances.  Still, Barnes decided to go along with this surprising turn of events, wanting to see where they might lead.

"Bring us about and set a course for Minbar.  Advise the Minbari fleet and get me President Sheridan on a secure channel immediately.  If we take these Keilmar to meet him, we're going to first make damn sure they don't try anything."

"What makes you think they would try anything Admiral?"  Natalie protested.  Though she could not deny the situation was still a precarious one, the Narcon did seem to be sincere enough as far as she could tell.

"How often to you take a ship that size to a diplomatic meeting?"

She did not respond.

"Get me the President," Barnes said softly, quickly turning and making his way off the bridge.  With a short journey to Minbar, there would be much preparation needed and a very small amount of time in which to accomplish it.  Taking a final look at the black cruiser as it sliced through hyperspace on the tail of the _Night's Eye_, he could only wonder with great misgivings about what would happen in the next few hours.

*******

            "Now just a damn minute!"  President Sheridan shouted, leaping to his feet and slamming a clenched fist upon the surface of the table.  The verbal exchange between the President and Narcon had been going on for several hours and had now reached its lowest point.  "While you can get away with justifying the attack against the Seventh Fleet as defense of your territory, you can't try to tell me the other two attacks against our forces were anything but unjustified!"

Barnes sighed, hiding his face in the palm of his right hand.  Seated at a circular table with Sheridan and the Keilmar Narcon, between the two of them, he had witnessed the entire verbal repartee between the two well-skilled diplomats, never interjecting a comment of his own.  During those three hours, particularly now as he watched the conversation degrading even further, there had been little progress made.  It had began with a peace offering from the Keilmar and over the course of slightly more than six hours it had degraded into both accusing the other of repeated territory violations and unprovoked attacks against the other.

"We considered the incursion of your fleet into our territory to be an aggressive move and attacked accordingly.  We first believed your fleet's violation to have been a declaration of war and began suitable military action to respond, hence the other two attacks," the Narcon calmly responded, remaining seated, not rising to meet Sheridan.  "Once we began to analyze your actions in response to our attacks, we realized that it was indeed a mistake and withdrew our forces from your territory."  Though Sheridan was not pleased with the answer, he did seem to accept it as he again to his seat.

"I suppose mistakes were made by all," Sheridan admitted, his voice returning to its normal degree.  "But just because we made mistakes then doesn't mean we have to make mistakes now."  Barnes felt an air of uneasy serenity returning to the room with the President's statement.  As was the case on the bridge of the _Night's Eye_, he was able to learn nothing from the expression of the Narcon.  He was cold, unreadable and impossible to predict.  The Admiral wondered if the rest of their race was so good at disguising their emotions.

Aside from the Narcon, the only Keilmar he had seen were those guards that landed with him on Minbar hours before.  He was unable to see their faces however, as they were covered entirely in black armor, carrying large silver rifles.  There had been a brief standoff as the guards refused to hand over their weapons but Barnes, with a detachment of well-armed security, was able to diffuse the situation.  The guards then returned to the shuttle, waiting on a nearby landing pad, with the exception of one who took station outside the meeting room.

"I agree President Sheridan," the Narcon answered coldly.  "As does the Kaishar, which is why he sent me with an offering of peace and friendship for the Interstellar Alliance.  It is our hope that we can re-forge as friends what we nearly lost as enemies, peace between neighbors and throughout the galaxy."  For the first time, Barnes heard a tinge of emotion in his voice; the difficult task was determining what the emotion was.  "That is why, in addition to our friendship, we have much to offer you, including but not limited to our jump gate maps and maps of our territory.  This in exchange for minor sacrifices from you."

"A moment please," the Admiral interjected into the conversation.  The Narcon nodded.

Barnes leaned closer to Sheridan, gesturing with a single finger for him to do the same.  "It would be a great benefit to us Mr. President to be able to get a detailed picture of their territory," the Admiral whispered into his ear while the Narcon waited patiently.  "Not to mention their map of the jump gate system could be of great benefit in any future planning sessions."

"You're suggesting I go along with this?"  Though Sheridan kept his voice as well at a low whisper, his astonishment at the Admiral's suggestion was clear.  "They destroyed the Seventh Fleet, they tried to destroy the Narn fleet, they tried to kill dozens of Earth Force Generals, they tried to kill you and they crippled one of our destroyers.  Do you really think these are the kinds of people we need to be trusting?"

"I'm not suggesting we trust them Mr. President, I'm suggesting we do what we need to do to buy ourselves some time and some information."  Barnes, as always was thinking what would happen several steps down the road.  He knew these Keilmar could not be trusted but he did see their plan as an opportunity for the Alliance to attempt a delaying maneuver.  "If agreeing to this plan of theirs is the only way to prevent a full-scale war from happening right now then I say we do what we can to buy ourselves as much time as possible for when the war does come."

Sheridan considered the options before him, realizing that the Admiral had presented an easily convincing case.  If war was inevitable and the Alliance was to survive, they would need time to prepare and this offering of peace from the Keilmar, empty as it could be, offered the most promise for giving them the time they needed.  "The council isn't going to like it," Sheridan offered the one counterpoint he could determine would be an obstacle to pushing this uneasy peace with the enemy through.

"You have to convince them."  Barnes returned to his position, as did Sheridan, his decision having been made.

"The Alliance, in principle, accepts your offer."

"Then perhaps we can discuss the details and have a conclusion soon that will please both of our peoples and usher in a new era of prosperity for the Interstellar Alliance and the Keilmar Empire."  Jerry was finally able to determine what it was he was hearing from the Narcon's voice, the tone of someone trying with all their strength to sell someone else on a lie.

Barnes stood, excusing himself from the room.  Now was a time for the diplomats to do what they did best.  It was not a time where they needed a soldier to be present now that they had broken through the initial confrontation and reached the phase of negotiating and bargaining.  After several hours of listening to their banter, though he saw the importance of it, he was tired and felt the need to be elsewhere.

He stepped out of the room, quickly making his way through the empty wooden corridor and stepping onto a large balcony, closing his eyes and taking several deep breaths.  The fresh evening air of Minbar filled his lungs, reviving his drained energy with every breath.  After several seconds, during which he felt reenergized, his eyes popped open and he looked out upon the Tuzanor skyline.  The sun was now setting over the horizon, casting brilliant hues of red, orange, yellow and the slightest purple on the ancient buildings of the city of sorrows.  A light but steady stream of traffic flew below the high clouds, yellow and orange themselves, absorbing the sunset.  This time of day, the ships would be commercial transport traveling between various cities on the planet or heading for space.  The white and red glows from the engines of the ships further accented the brilliant view filling his eyes.  The red light of the sun setting touched against the dark brown wood of the balcony on which he stood, bathing Barnes in a red shade.

Standing in silence for several minutes, becoming at peace with even his own thoughts, Barnes was pulled away, hearing a deep sound against the wood of the balcony.  He turned to see a figure in the black armor of the Keilmar military.  This armor, while being of the same basic design was slightly different, marked with gold and dark blue on several sections.  He turned at the waste and looked over his shoulder at the face of the wearer.  His face resembled that of the Narcon but even Barnes could tell this Keilmar was far younger.  His face did not bear the wrinkles or number of ridges that of the Narcon did.  The Keilmar began to circle Barnes, locking his eyes upon the Admiral.  Though it was difficult to tell with the red hue of the sun upon his face, Barnes could also tell this face of this individual was a far lighter blue than that of the Narcon.  He considered that the darkness of color could be some sign of their age.  Barnes also took notice of his eyes, the same small deeply set red eyes that the Narcon carried but with a far more sinister quality to them as they also reflected the light of the sun along with their own faint glow.

Feeling like prey being circled by a predator, a feeling multiplied when he saw the slightest of grins creep onto the black face of the Keilmar, Barnes finally decided to break the silence.  "Who are you?"

The Keilmar broke his circle and began moving in the opposite direction, met by mirror movement from Barnes who continuously turned to face him while keeping his position static.  "Your counterpart Admiral Barnes," this Keilmar, like the Narcon, also spoke in perfect English.  Hearing his voice, Barnes had the passing thought of likening it to having an almost Shakespearean quality about it.  "I am called Tari'Kan," the Keilmar spoke again, offering additional exposition, as Barnes seemed to not totally understand his statement.  "I am Executor of the Keilmar fleet, supreme command of our forces.  As I said Admiral, your counterpart."

"What are you doing here?"  Barnes asked, an air of hostility to his voice.  The rest of the Keilmar were supposed to be waiting either on the Narcon's shuttle or on their cruiser in orbit.  Even if this Executor had been granted permission to seek him out, the Admiral wondered how it was he seemed to freely roam the halls of headquarters, Barnes not noticing any Alliance guards accompanying him.

"I came to speak with you Admiral," he ceased his circling and took several steps towards Barnes, standing close enough for Barnes to feel the warm breath of the Executor upon his skin.  "I speak to you, not with the authority or approval of my government but as a warrior to a warrior."  Their eyes locked in a contest of wills as the setting sun rested at the horizon in the space between their faces.  Knowing he had little time, he did not care to waste any more of it waiting for a response from the human.  "Your Alliance is weak Admiral.  In the years during which you have been fighting, Shadows, your own government, Centauri, Drahk and countless others, we have been doing nothing but preparing."  His voice was calm yet filled with a maniacal passion that sent a chill through Barnes' spine.  "Our purpose is great, greater and more dire than you can possibly realize.  If we fail Admiral, the galaxy will burn.

"We have come a great way to realizing our purpose and being prepared for the death that is to come but there is still much to be done and there are still many obstacles in our path.  One of the greatest is your Interstellar Alliance.  We have spent many years watching you as we have prepared.  You and I well know that your Alliance cannot stand under the pressure we would apply to it."  He took another step closer, placing his face almost on top of Barnes'.  "I ask you to not interfere with us Admiral.  Do not stand in the way of our purpose, for if you do, not only will your Alliance fall but the galaxy will burn.  We are superior and we are meant to rule."  A barrage of loud footsteps approaching from the corridor indicated that his time was short.  "Do not stand in our way Admiral, if you do, it will be the greatest regret of your life or, you will not live to regret it."

The door the corridor flew open, spewing forth several Rangers, Minbari and Interstellar Alliance security, training their weapons on the Executor.  "We're sorry Admiral," one of the Rangers said as the Executor gave him a mocking glare.  "We don't know how he got past security but we responded as soon as possible.  We'll escort him back to the shuttle."  There was no struggle as they formed a living barrier around him and began to lead him from the balcony; all the while the eyes of the Executor were fixed on Barnes.

Jerry Barnes could not understand the meaning of what he had been told.  Not because he did not possess the knowledge needed, simply that it was beyond his capacity for understanding.  Though the Executor gave him all the answers, from the Admiral's perspective, it was nothing but a string of cryptic riddles.  Still, he saw an opportunity and shot for it.  "You know we will oppose you if forced to but perhaps there is not a need for it.  If there's something out there other than you that threatens peace, freedom and life in the galaxy then tell us now and we will fight it alongside you.  Our peoples may have gotten off on a rough start but a lot of races do, that doesn't mean we can pull something out of this.  Why don't you just come right out and tell me what this is about rather than playing these senseless, self defeating games."  Barnes spoke with a passion, a fire that did not have any noticeable effect upon the Narcon.

The Keilmar halted and turned with his fully body back to Barnes, squinting as the last rays of the setting sun penetrated his eyes.  Then, unpredictable to both Barnes and the security team, he simply laughed.  "You do not understand Admiral but you will, years from now, you will."  They led him away then without any further interruptions as the sun finally set on Barnes and the Alliance capital.

********************

IAS _NIGHT'S EYE_; HYPERSPACE  
 FEBRUARY 3, 2272, 23:18 EST 

********************

            "So the _Night's Eye_ is bringing you back to Babylon 5?"  The image of Captain Lochley asked, looking at Barnes as he sat in his small yet comfortable guest quarters onboard the Alliance cruiser.  Though Val'Na Johnson had offered to have something more than standard guest quarters arranged, he had insisted against it, tired of being treated differently than so many others.

            Barnes gave an exhausted nod.  The past two days on Minbar had seen a great deal of stressful work and a severe lack of sleep, something he doubted he would be able to rectify tonight.  "She's the fastest Alliance ship we had at Minbar that wasn't immediately devoted to other duties and I need to get back to the station in a hurry, there's a lot we have to do and not a whole lot of time to do it in."

            "Which is why you called," Elizabeth skipped straight to the point.

            "Yes," Barnes admitted, wishing he could have called simply to see and speak with her but knowing his position did not allow him such pleasures, especially in times where the burden of his office was at the highest.  He didn't like what he had to do but there was no other choice, she was the person he needed.  "As I told you Elizabeth, as part of our recently signed treaty with the Keilmar, the Interstellar Alliance is to cede several systems along our border to their Empire so that they can create a buffer zone for both of us.  The problem is that many of those systems are human refugee zones and the possibility of us being able to get them out in time is basically nil."

            "So you're going to move the White Star Fleet into those systems to cover the evacuation and with any luck the Keilmar won't attack the transports because they won't want to risk a head on confrontation with your forces."  Captain Lochley saw the Admiral's plan clear as crystal when she considered the limited options available to him.

            "Exactly," Barnes said, impressed that she had determined the same course of action he had decided upon during his final meeting with President Sheridan just prior to his departure.  Though both of them hoped the Keilmar were sincere in their offer for peace, both doubted the likelihood of them actually keeping their word.  As such, they had to put together a plan to protect the Alliance and all of its citizens from Keilmar aggression.  "And I need you to command the fleet Elizabeth."

            This she hadn't seen coming.  Through her command of Babylon 5, she had participated in many military actions, it had been a great while since she had actually led a large force of ships in any type of action, especially a large scale engagement.  "I suppose I thought you would be placing Captain MacDonald in command of the fleet," she said nervously, not wanting to insult him by turning down his offer but also wanting to be cautious about accepting it.

            Barnes shook his head.  Though he had considered Captain MacDonald for command of the White Star Fleet during this mission, he had another purpose for the Captain of the _Victory_.  "Captain MacDonald and the _Victory_ won't be with the fleet, I'm giving them another assignment that will prevent them from being present during this fleet action."  He abruptly stopped speaking, leaning forward and gazing into her eyes, they betrayed that she wanted to take this mission but was unsure of her abilities to do so.  "I need you out there Elizabeth.  I need someone to be my eyes and ears, someone who has the experience needed, someone who isn't afraid to fight if they have to and someone I trust.  You're the person I need out there."

            She dropped her head, feeling almost overwhelmed by the confidence Barnes was displaying in her.  She wanted to do this and he knew it.  "I'm sure Commander Corwin will be thrilled with the opportunity to run the station for a while."  She managed to make some light of her accepting the dangerous assignment.  "When do I leave?"

            "As soon as possible," Barnes said, dropping immediately back into his tactical mindset.  "Confer with Vice Admiral Taylor, he'll have a squadron of White Stars take you to the _Valen's Hand_.  It is already en-route to the system we're making our staging area and you can assume command of the fleet from there.  You'll be in charge of coordinating the evacuation with us on Babylon 5 along with the transports and people in those systems.  We've got a little more than three weeks to get this accomplished."

            "Not a lot of time," she pointed out the obvious.  "But we'll get it done."

            "I know you will Elizabeth," Barnes commented, the tone of his voice dropping slightly.  Until that point, when he saw her face, he had not considered he would be sending her into danger, only considering that he needed her experience on the frontlines.  It was the difference between his two different ways of thinking, one with his head and the other with his heart.  He took a long hard look at her as she did him, both wondering when they would next be together, if ever again.

            Elizabeth first decided to break the uneasy yet peaceful silence.  "Is there anything else Admiral?"  She wanted to bring the conversation to a close as quickly as possible.  The last thing either of them needed was feeling they were trying to put aside getting in the way of their duties, now that the Keilmar threat seemed to be renewed.

            "Just get yourself back safely."

            "I'll try," she said somberly, trying to hide her emotions.

            Barnes made no such attempt.  "It's an order."

            She smiled, feeling for a brief second that there may be no need to keep their feelings in check this one time.  "I will, and I'll see you again."  He wished her luck and her image disappeared, replaced by the ever-familiar emblem of the Interstellar Alliance.

            Rising to his feet from the chair near the monitor and walking the short distance across the room, the Admiral fell into the bed, one of a human standard rather than Minbari.  As he loosened the grip of his uniform shirt and closed his eyes, feeling the fatigue having finally broken through all of his defenses.  For the first time since the arrival of the Keilmar in hyperspace near Minbar, when he closed his eyes, they were not the only things he saw.

To be continued ... Part Two: The Loss of Peace, Chapter Six - While Admiral Barnes struggles to prepare the Alliance for the war he believes to be coming, Captain Lochley faces a precarious situation as a Keilmar battle group takes position outside of the evacuation zone.  Meanwhile, Captains McDouglass and Griffon engage a deadly raider group while Commander Corwin makes preparations for a possible defense of Babylon 5.


	7. Chapter Six

**  ************** PART TWO: THE LOSS OF PEACE *******************

**************** CHAPTER SIX ******************

IAS _VALEN'S HAND_; EVAC. ZONE BETA  
 FEBRUARY 26, 2272, 10:18 EST 

********************

            Despite that she was sitting on a powder keg poised to explode at any given minute, with any wrong turn, Captain Elizabeth Lochley could not remember the last time she had been happier.  Assuming command of the _Valen's Hand_ and the White Star Fleet in the evacuation area had seemed to be just the breath of fresh air she required.  Though her posting on Babylon 5 was everything she could ask for, any assignment, after ten years grew to be tasking on a person.  Hence, after only a few days onboard this Alliance destroyer, she had felt a new life and enthusiasm inside her.

            Stepping onto the bridge, she was handed a data pad containing the results of their most recent combat drills.  From the start, the crew of this destroyer had displayed a great efficiency when it came to conducting their duties and this efficiency was displayed in no greater measure than when she ordered a battle drill.  Since her assuming command of the destroyer, preparing the crew for combat had been one of her chief priorities, with their deployment so close to the Keilmar border.  Now, with only days remaining before the Keilmar were scheduled to take possession of the sectors the Interstellar Alliance was ceding to them, she had reinforced her mandate that the crew be ready for anything.

            Signing off on the report, displaying the crews best response times to date, and handing it back to the Army of Light Lieutenant, she made her away across the bridge, not taking her normal seat in the command chair, as was her morning custom but instead heading directly for the map room, the door sliding shut behind her.  She was alone in the room and tapped several controls along the edge of the map table, calling up a holographic display of the four evacuations zones, designated alpha, beta, delta and gamma.  According to the terms of the treaty, the Keilmar were to take possession of these nine systems along their border on the third day of March.  Though she was making every effort, Captain Elizabeth Lochley could no longer trick herself into believing that the Alliance withdrawal from those systems could be complete in the remaining time.

            From the beginning, their evacuation effort had been plagued by complications of every sort. The first challenge had been getting Earth Alliance, who controlled all of the sectors, to go along with and provide material support for the plan.  Though she had not been present for the discussions, Admiral Barnes regaled her with the stories of General Pack's reaction when he found out Earth Alliance was having to cede several sectors of space to those who were responsible for the destruction of the Seventh Fleet.  President Sheridan had been able to convince the Earth Alliance, after some negotiation, that giving up these sectors that had little value, could go a long way towards keeping peace with their new neighbors.  The Earth President then reluctantly agreed.

            Next had come the even greater challenge of evacuating the inhabitants of those systems.  The history of Earth, even after it joined the Interstellar Alliance, was one marked by many wars and conflicts.  The systems in question to be ceded to the Keilmar contained the largest number of refugees that had fled Earth space during various conflicts.  Adding to the problem was that, during the Drahk and Shadow-tech crises, many refugees from other Alliance worlds also fled to those sectors.  As a result, the population was high, greatly spread out and lacking any significant means of mass transport.

            It had been Captain Lochley's idea for the Alliance to contract many of the major transport and shipping companies to aid their own ships in conducting the evacuation.  Though the addition of these ships was helping matters, it was creating problems of its own.  The ships the shipping companies sent were older models in near constant need of maintenance and repair.  With the evacuation zones so far from most bases, colonies and other inhabited systems, it was difficult to quickly procure needed replacement parts and conduct the repairs in a timely manner.  All factors considered, the latest estimates given to her by those coordinating the evacuation predicted that they were more than ten days behind schedule and would never have completed their mission by the time the Keilmar were to take possession of the sectors.

            This news had officials across the Interstellar Alliance scrambling.  President Sheridan was engaged in top-level talks with the Keilmar leadership, attempting to buy more time for the evacuation to be completed.  Vice President Delenn and Ambassador Ta'Lon were attempting to rally their own people along with other Alliance worlds to provide assistance to Earth and the ISA in evacuating everyone as close to the deadline as possible.  In contrast to those trying to prevent a war, there were also those preparing for one.

            As part of the treaty with the Keilmar, they gave the Alliance detailed maps of their territory as well as information regarding the structure of their government, military, religion and social system.  On Babylon 5, Admiral Jerry Barnes and Assistant Director Julia Rourke were working feverishly to develop plans of actions based on the information in the event a war was inevitable.  Using information recovered from the Seventh Fleet sensor records along with data from their other two encounters with the Keilmar, Barnes had directed all Army of Light and Anla'Shok ships to begin running battle simulations using Keilmar combat models and had also encouraged the Alliance member worlds to begin doing the same with their own military forces.  Barnes was also working to quietly continue the buildup of their forces as well as strengthening defenses at key Alliance installations.

            While Admiral Barnes had worked almost exclusively on Babylon 5 during the past month, save for a visit to the main Alliance shipyard, Vice Admiral Taylor was making rounds across the Alliance.  In the past month, he had visited every Alliance member world, some more than once, conducting top-level meetings with political and military leaders, preparing them for the possibility of war with the Keilmar and attempting to gain the support that would be needed.  He was currently wrapping up a final visit to Earth before returning to Babylon 5.

            Returning her thoughts to her own situation, Lochley studied the detailed display of the evacuation zone in front of her.  Throughout the night and early morning, eighteen more transports had jumped away, heading for Earth Alliance territory.  Though they had begun to make greater progress in the past several days, feeling urgency in their cause, only sixty percent of the evacuation was complete.  According to the display, there were still well over one hundred transports tending to the evacuation zone and tens of thousands of people still to be removed.  With less than a week remaining, they had little chance.

            The Alliance did however have an impressive showing of force throughout the zone.  There were now over five hundred ships from the White Star Fleet present, with more arriving each day.  Admiral Barnes had directed a considerable amount of their resources to covering the evacuation, hoping it would deter a Keilmar attack against defenseless civilians.  In addition to their own forces, several of the member worlds had leant forces to the defense of the evacuation.  Ships from Earth Force, the Minbari and the Drazi had been arriving in substantial numbers during the past week.  So far, their show of force appeared to be working as their scouts reported Keilmar forces giving the border a wide breathing space, much to her relief.

            Her link chimed and with quick reflex, she toggled it on.  "Lochley, go."

            "Captain," Commander Jennifer Ellis, the first officer assigned to the _Valen's Hand_ spoke through it.  "We just received a report that eleven more transports will be ready to jump within two hours."

            "Thank you Commander," though it was welcome news, Lochley was far from relieved.  "Join me in the map room."  During the past few weeks, she had come to greatly rely on the Commander's counsel and advice in dealing with the evacuation and preparing for a possible confrontation with the Keilmar.  She had a good head on her shoulders and an ability to see the big picture.

            Seconds later, the door to the map room slid open, Commander Jennifer Ellis stepping inside.  She was slightly taller than Lochley, young in her mid-thirties with light blonde hair, running over the shoulders of her black and silver Army of Light uniform.  She took several steps into the room, standing opposite Captain Lochley at the map table.

            "We've got a problem Commander," Lochley said bluntly, looking up from the display and to Ellis who had also taken to studying the holographic images swirling in front of them.  "There's no way this evacuation will be completed in time."

            "Is the President making any progress in trying to get the Keilmar to extend the deadline?"

            Lochley shook her head.  "I spoke with him an hour ago.  He's been speaking with their ambassador, along with Delenn and Ta'Lon for the past two days without any luck.  He keeps insisting that they've so far kept their end the treaty and insist that we do the same.  During their last meeting, Sheridan was told that they're taking possession of these systems when they're scheduled to, regardless of if we've completed the evacuation or not."

            "Which means that this little uneasy peace we've established deteriorates into a shooting war whenever they come screaming into this area and the White Star Fleet is here waiting for them."  She put the situation as simply as it could be stated.

            "If we look at all complacent, then the Keilmar won't hesitate to attack.  We have to show them we're not going to back down and we're going to defend those people out there."  Lochley knew what needed to be done but was unsure of the proper way to do it.

            "But at the same time, we don't want the Keilmar to think we're making any sort of aggressive movements against them," Commander Ellis summarized their dilemma.

            "Exactly.  Since they haven't moved any ships towards the evacuation zones on their border, I'm hesitant to do the same but, at the same time, having the White Star Fleet deployed throughout these systems may not be a clear enough signal to them that we won't tolerate any sort of military movements against our forces."

            "If you ask me Captain, it seems like the White Star Fleet would be a pretty good show of force."

            "I'm sure people would have said that about the Seventh Fleet as well Commander."  Though the showing of the Alliance was making in the sector was far greater than the Earth Force Seventh Fleet, Lochley could not help but make the comparison, believing the Keilmar, if they felt a victory possible, would not hesitate to attack no matter the number of their opposition.  "Admiral Barnes and ISA Intel have been running a lot of numbers based off the information the Keilmar gave us.  We don't know the exact numbers of their forces but they've made a low-end estimate that they have enough ships to match the entire Alliance.  Even with the assistance of the member worlds, we can't repel that kind of firepower out here."

            "But we have to make them think we can," Ellis confidently countered.

            Lochley nodded.  From the start of the meeting, it seemed that the two of them were on the same track and her statement further reinforced it.  "We've got most of our forces spread throughout the evacuation zones," Lochley said, gesturing to the different clusters of Interstellar Alliance logos displayed throughout the holographic display.  "I want to issue orders to begin consolidating a quarter of our forces here," she pointed to an area on the Keilmar border in evacuation zone beta, the central zone.  "As a show of force against any Keilmar aggression?"

            "But are you sure you want to take the risk of them thinking it is an aggressive fleet movement?"  Displaying one of the qualities that made Lochley consider her a superior executive officer, Commander Ellis reminded her of the possible repercussions of her actions.  As both women looked away from the display, their eyes met, Lochley considering her response and Ellis awaiting an answer.

            Elizabeth Lochley had asked the question of herself dozens of times already but still struggled with it.  There were grave repercussions on both sides of the debate; her predicament was giving weight to those.  "I don't think we have a choice Jennifer.  We can only hope they take it as a sign that we're not willing to just let them walk in and kill all of these people without a fight and that convinces them to give Sheridan the time he's asking for."  She sighed, feeling the weight of thousands resting upon every decision she and a handful of others made.  "Maybe we can still pull through this without getting into a war."

            Commander Ellis pressed a hand to her earpiece, hearing a report coming through it from the bridge.  Her expression noticeably changed as she listened to the news.  The subtle hopefulness her face carried vanished in an instant.  "Captain, report coming in from tactical, they're tracking several Keilmar ships on approach to the border of evac. zone beta.  They're taking up a holding position on their side of the border."

            Lochley said nothing, quickly making for the door to the bridge, Jennifer following immediately behind her.  The bridge was quickly beginning to bustle with activity as many of the crewmembers were taking actions they had been assigned in preparation for this very event.  All stations on the bridge were soon manned with officers reporting that defenses and fighters were being placed on standby.

            "Number and type of ships," Lochley demanded, sliding into the command chair and fixing her eyes on the forward screen that displayed an image of several black, dagger-like ship.

            With almost no delay, the answer came from the Minbari Ranger who was operating the tactical station at the fore of the bridge.  "Sensors tracking three Keilmar dreadnoughts, seven heavy cruisers and over four dozen support ships Captain.  They are deploying in a tight formation just on their side of the border, not far from us."

            "Captain, message coming in from the destroyers _Iron Forge_, _Falcon_, _Tishari_ and _Rohan_," Commander Ellis reported as a flood of messages came through her earpiece.  "They've monitored our situation and are moving their battle groups to support.  Several Earth and Minbari squadrons are also moving to join us."

            "A standoff," Lochley muttered, almost under her breath.  She accessed her personal display, studying a tactical map of the area.  The Keilmar ships were resting on the border, just outside of weapons range while her ships were moving in from other areas in the evacuation zone.  The closest group of reinforcements was seven minutes out, leaving the _Valen's Hand_ and its battle group greatly outnumbered for at least that long.  "We can't hope to take on that many ships."

            "They're no doubt tracking our reinforcements that are en-route.  If they feel threatened they might –" Captain Lochley cut Ellis off, for once not wanting to hear her advice on the situation.

            "I'm aware of that Commander."  Lochley looked away from the digital display and at the live images of the enemy ships on the screen.  They hung in space, almost lifeless, save for the constant blue, white and purple glow of the black ship's engines.  "But I don't want them this close to the evacuation zone, it puts them in too easy a position to strike.  That in mind," Lochley slowly rose from her chair and walked slightly to her left, Commander Ellis certain she was going for the main weapon control station.  "Communications," Lochley said, bypassing weapon control and positioning herself in front of the main communications monitor.  "Open a channel to the lead ship."

            Pressing several controls on his console and receiving a faint squealing noise in response, the young human shook his head.  "Keilmar ships aren't responding Captain."

            Lochley took in a deep breath, prepared to play that game if that was what her Keilmar counterpart desired.  "All right then, they don't have to talk, they just have to listen.  Send this message on all known communications frequencies."  With a great vigor, he pressed a series of controls, carrying out her order and nodding to her when they had begun transmitting.

            "This is Captain Elizabeth Lochley, Earth Force, on special assignment commanding the Interstellar Alliance destroyer _Valen's Hand_, to Keilmar warship approaching the border.  As per the treaty between our two governments, we are commencing with an evacuation from this system along with several others.  Please state your reasons for being here and allow me to know if I can be of any assistance to you."

            There was a dead silence on the bridge as they waited for a response, though Lochley would not allow herself to be totally convinced they even heard the message.  In the time it took for the _Tishari_, the closest Alliance destroyer, to arrive, the Keilmar had still not responded to Lochley's request.  Their ships hung in space, their perfect formation not faltering, not moving or betraying any sign of their intentions.  Captain Lochley, Commander Ellis and all those on the bridge of the Alliance destroyer did not move their eyes, did not so much as blink as they watched the Keilmar ships on the screen.

            "Captain," an audible alert from the communications station prompted the officer to action, quickly checking the new information being displayed at his console.  "We're receiving an audio-only message from one of the Keilmar dreadnoughts.  Patching it through the speakers."

            The voice of the Keilmar boomed throughout the bridge, echoing in the adjoining corridors, triggering all those traveling them to take a pause from their activities and listen to his words.  "This is Kantarh Okieran, of the Imperial Keilmar warship _Nel'Sark_.  In no way are we in violation of the treaty between our two governments.  My battle squadron has come simply to observe this area of space and prepare to claim these systems when the appointed day arrives.  We mean no ill will towards your forces.  Be advised however, that we will maintain our current position along the border until the day arrives when we take possession of these systems.  You would be wise to not challenge our forces as more will be arriving along the border in the next several days.  Also be aware, that any of your ships or people remaining in the zone once the day arrives will be considered to be in violation of our territory and will be dealt with accordingly."

            "You would risk war with the Interstellar Alliance over some starving, weak civilians packed into a transport ship that just can't get away fast enough?"  Lochley responded quickly with a fiery passion in her voice.  If ever there was a time to cut through the bureaucracy of government meetings and try to prevent a war with those who would wage it, this certainly was it.  It seemed however that her counterpart on the opposite side of the border wanted to hear nothing of it.  As they waited for his response, seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours and there was nothing.  The ships remained statues, not faltering even as the rest of the Alliance reinforcements arrived on scene.

            Lochley stood for sometime, watching their ships and waiting for a reply even as it became obvious one would not be given as they were giving a far clearer signal by failing to reply than they ever could accomplish with words.  Her crew watching her, Lochley finally settled back into the command chair, feeling almost broken by the lack of impact she seemed to have on the Keilmar commander.  

As the crew began resuming their normal duties, standing down from the increased alert they had taken, Lochley finally spoke.  "Commander Ellis, order additional patrols of White Stars along the border, they're to take no offensive actions, merely monitor the Keilmar movements.  Order the rest of our ships to provide cover as close as possible for the transports but also doesn't let their guard down with the Keilmar sitting out there.  Then get me President Sheridan on the line and let's hope he's having luck getting us some more time."

********************

EAS _HADES_; EARTH ALLIANCE TERRITORY  
 FEBRUARY 26, 2272, 12:42 EST 

********************

            A quick line of five successive orange pulses sliced through one of the five fleeing Zephyr class, delta-winged, fighters, breaking the ship apart on impact, scattering the lifeless debris into the four remaining fighters, not disrupting their quick retreat.  Three Starfuries swooped in behind the raiders as the Warlock class destroyer _Hades_ closed on their tail, unleashing another volley from one of its forward anti-fighter pulse cannons.  The Earth Force fighters closed the distance with the raiders, firing several white pulses from their forward cannons.  The raider fighters, having less than seconds to dodge the attacks, did what they could to break away from the battle, two of their fighters being destroyed by the opposing Starfuries.

            Transferring all remaining power to the engines, the raider fighters managed to avoid the Starfuries long enough to reach their destination, a massive hulk of a battlewagon, box shaped with a pointed nose, orbiting a small moon in the system.  The raider capital ship turned towards the approaching Earth fighter, releasing a massive barrage of green energy pulses in their direction, as the Zephyrs took cover behind their command ship.  The Starfuries, having no chance to react as they rounded the moon, met by sustained fire from the battlewagon, vanished in balls of red flame.  Following close behind the now destroyed fighters, was the massive form of the EAS _Hades_ that easily dwarfed the raider ship as it closed upon it.  

The battlewagon however was not apt to surrender simply because it was outsized by the Earth destroyer.  It pitched upward, towards the _Hades_, firing several silvery white bolts of energy from each of its three gun ports, striking the destroyer twice in the nose and four times on a missile launcher, the last shot penetrating armor around the launcher, fire spewing forth from breached hull.  Another round of energy beams from the battlewagon struck the underside of the destroyer as it slowed to a halt directly above it.  Taking their opportunity, a newly launched wave of Zephyrs moved in from under the cover of the battlewagon, striking the underside of the _Hades_ between the arcs of its anti-fighter weapons, causing damage in tangent with sustained fire from the battlewagon.  For the raider pilots, it seemed as though they had the destroyer exactly where they wanted it.

On the bridge of the _Hades_, Captain Sarah McDouglass grasped the arms of her chair as the bridge shook violently, the ship being rocked by another series of hits from the battlewagon and its fighter wing.  "Starboard missile launcher is offline, repair crews en-route," the executive officer reported, running behind the Captain to the other side of the bridge where he could view their situation from the tactical station.  He was frantic, believing as many of the crew did and as did the raiders, that they had fallen right into a trap.

Captain Sarah McDouglass on the other hand, maintained her strict, calm equanimity, even as the ship continued to suffer violent hits from the enemy attacking its underside.  Taking but a second to steady herself as the ship continued to rock, she began rattling off orders with a no nonsense tone to her voice.  "Maneuvering, ease back on main engines, begin slowly bringing us to a full stop.  Engine room, shut down number three engine and begin venting coolant, make it look like we've taken a hit."  Though they carried out her orders without question, the odd requests from the Captain earned her more than a share of looks as she continued.

"Weapons, reconfigure defense grid for heavy and sustained short range fire, lock all batteries onto their battlewagon but hold firing for my command.  Discontinue all defensive fire including interceptors until I give the order, I want it to look like they've done more damage than they actually have," she ordered, not faltering as many on the bridge were thrown from their stations following the worst hit yet from the battlewagon deploying a heavy energy weapon.  "Then launch the rest of our fighters," she continued  "Tell them to coral those raiders and keep them under the _Hades_, no matter how much fire they take."

Following her orders, a stream of Thunderbolts and Starfuries pored from the forward hangar on the destroyer as it slowed and shut down all defensive fire against the attackers.  The Earth fighters were quick to engage their targets, flying under the destroyer, hugging its hull and firing several rounds at the delta shaped fighters swarming around it.  The superior maneuvering capabilities of Earth fighters gave them the needed edge over the raiders as they navigated the rows of guns on the underside of the destroyer.  The battle became heated, fierce amounts of energy bolts being exchanged by each side, both suffering losses.

"Delta flight lead to epsilon flight lead, initiate maneuver theta one three, that'll teach these pirate bastards to screw with Earth Force's finest."

"Epsilon flight lead copies delta, we're on it."

On the cue of the squadron commanders, the Thunderbolts formed a flying wedge and charged at the raiders lines while the Starfuries broke away, taking up delicate holding positions between the barrels of the double-barreled weapon turrets on the bottom of the destroyer and the ships hull, five on each side of the ship, facing the center.  The Thunderbolts advanced on the largest cluster of raiders, their gattling pulse cannons relentlessly blazing, missiles flying from under their wings, turning eight raider fighters into balls of smoldering debris.  The raiders quickly recovered, turning and firing on the Thunderbolts, green bolts of energy ripping the wings from two of the Earth fighters.  Faking a retreat, the Thunderbolts snapped around, firing their engines to maximum velocity and rushing for the rear of the destroyer.

As the Zephyrs passed in pursuit of the Thunderbolts, the Starfuries sprung the trap.  Firing at the mass of raider fighters as they passed by, there was no escaping the crossfire created by the blazing guns of the Earth Force fighters.  All but five raider fighters, those fast enough to dive away, towards their command ship, fell in the crossfire from the furies.  With now vastly superior numbers, both groups of Earth fighters flew full speed in pursuit of the raiders.  Seeing the predicament its fighters were in, the battlewagon moved in closer, opening up with streams of green energy pulses on the advancing squadrons.

"Our fighters are under fire Captain!"  The XO exclaimed, his head shooting up from the tactical station.  "They're not going to last unless we give them some sort of cover fire."

McDouglass did not respond, she remained cool, silently giving herself a five second count to allow the battlewagon to get slightly closer to her ship.  Counting, her finger hovered over a black and white button on the command chair.  When the count finished, she pressed the button.  At the communications station, the officer made a report of a coded and powerful transmission going from the _Hades_ to hyperspace.  McDouglass ignored the report and waited.

Blue and white energy ripped through space, a swirling vortex of power appearing.  The ship that emerged from the jump point was a deep contrasts to the bright and powerful energies of the vortex.  A black shadow against the light, a partial living creature whose features alone, curved tendrils emerging from the fighter bay and drive section the most distinctive, enough to invoke fear in those that saw it.  The EAS _Dark Thunder_, the last in the line of the Omega-X class destroyers, those who shared the greatest semblance of their Shadow-tech origins, emerged into normal space, the jump point closing behind it.

Six gun ports on the top of the _Dark Thunder_ came to life, blue beams of energy slicing into the hull of the battlewagon.  Fights roared from the bay of the newly arrived Earth destroyer, delivering salvos of missiles against the raider ship that now found itself pinned between two superior Earth Force warships.  The beams of the destroyer, sliced several pieces from the hull of the raider ship as it faltered on its course, engines failing.

"All guns fire!"  McDouglass exclaimed at the realization her trap had been successful.  The gun ports on the underside of the _Hades_ came to life, each of the double-barreled turrets firing sustains bursts of lasers into the already burning hull of the battlewagon and multiple pulse cannon barrages, striking and destroying the remaining fighters with great efficiency.  Several more seconds of sustained beam bursts from the both the _Dark Thunder_ and the _Hades_ left the battlewagon a burning wreck in space.  As the hull broke apart from within, multiple small, barely powered craft launched from the hull as the last binds holding the ship together failed, the charred hull slowly floating apart.

On the bridge of the EAS _Hades_, all except the Captain breathed a collective sigh of relief, realizing this had been her plan all along and it had been more than successful.  There was no time to relish in the victory however, as there was still work to be done.  "Captain, tracking several escape pods launched from that battlewagon," the XO reported from the tactical station.

"Jam all communications," McDouglass quickly ordered, standing from her chair and walking forward slightly across the smoke filled bridge, closer to the main view screen.  "We don't want them getting any transmissions off to bring the rest of their forces here.  Open a channel to the _Dark Thunder_."

As the smoke cleared, the resolute face of Captain Leslie Griffon appeared on the screen.  From her expression, it was obvious she was more than pleased with the outcome of the trap they had successfully set for the raiders.  They had been pursuing this particular battlewagon for two weeks, it always being one step ahead of them until now.  "Everyone all right over there Captain?"

Realizing she had not yet received a report on casualties, she glanced over her shoulder at the XO who simply nodded a response to the unasked question.  "A few bumps and bruises," McDouglass answered.  "Nothing we can't handle."  She added with a confident smirk.  "Perhaps you'd like to reel in those leftover raiders Captain," she suggested, skipping straight to the point.  "Maybe one of them will be willing to talk about this base we keep hearing about."

"Ah, the mysterious command base," Griffon scoffed, it had been a topic of more than a few of their meetings and discussion during the past weeks of this newest campaign against the raiders.  "But you're right, maybe now that we have some of these criminals in custody, they might want to help us if we look like we're willing to help them in return."

"I'd also be interested to learn where they're getting all these advanced weapons from.  That battlewagon was outfitted a lot heavier than the raider norm."  McDouglass cited the ease at which the battlewagon was able to attack and damage the heavily armored _Hades_.  "We've probably got a couple hours worth of repairs to conduct over here.  Hopefully by the time we're ready to depart, you'll have a destination for us."

Griffon smiled.  "Count on it," she promised as the conversation ended.

An hour and a half later, Captain Sarah McDouglass relaxed in her office, nursing a half-empty cup of coffee with two sugars and reviewing the preliminary damage reports from their battle with the raiders.  Most of the damage the _Hades_ suffered was superficial, the only systems taking any serious damage being the starboard missile launcher and three of their defensive turrets.  Casualties were light, the only deaths being eight fighter pilots who had perished during the firefight.  She cringed at the realization she had been making light of those deaths until that moment.

Often she wondered why some lived and others died.  Many times, it did not seem fair for someone with his or her whole future ahead of them to die while another lived.  Times like this, she often had trouble doing her duty by writing letters to the families of those who had died.  Words of comfort always seemed to escape her at the critical moment.  She wanted to praise the actions of the deceased, tell their families the loss is felt by all and that the crew will not be the same without the presence of their son, daughter, husband or wife but the damned truth of it was, life would go on basically as it had before and she hated that fact.

The sound of her link chiming on her right hand pulled her away from her thoughts, she toggled it on.  "McDouglass."

"Captain, you have an incoming transmission from Captain Griffon onboard the _Dark Thunder_."

"I'll take it in here."  She swiveled to face the communications monitor on the wall behind her desk.  The empty black screen soon changed to show the face of Captain Leslie Griffon, seated in her own office onboard the EAS _Dark Thunder_.

"We've got something," Griffon skipped straight through pleasantries.

"Care to share?"  McDouglass raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"One of the raiders talked.  I spoke to the judicial authorities back home and they agreed to plea bargain him a five year sentence if he cooperated with us in helping to take these sons of bitches down once and for all.  To that end, he's given us the location for what he says is the raiders main command and control base.  In addition to coordinating their forces, it is also their main supply and repair facility."  She paused, glancing at the report from the interrogation in her hand.  "He's also given us information that the majority of their other command ships will be gathering there in three days to coordinate new actions with their leaders on the station."

McDouglass gave a reserved nod.  "Meaning we've got a window in which we can inflict major damage on them."

"Meaning we've got a small window in which we can take these raiders out," Griffon corrected.  She had been the more passionate one of the two Captains during their pursuit of the raiders.  It had been especially so since they had arrived too late to stop a raider attack against a convoy carrying badly needed medical supplies to one of Earth's outer colonies.  Griffon was the type easily brought to anger by the strong bullying the weak.

            McDouglass agreed with a nod.  "I'll get in touch with Lillie at HQ, tell her what we have and see if she can't spare some more ships."

            "It might be difficult with everyone so focused on that evacuation."

            "Maybe," she replied softly.  "But HQ has been after us to put these raiders out of business and I doubt they'll pass up the opportunity to do most of the work in a single blow."

            "I know how you feel," Griffon observed, catching McDouglass off guard.  Though her mind had not been completely on the raiders, especially after the mention of the evacuation, she did not think it was so obvious.  Then, she almost forgot whom she was dealing with.  "It seems kind of trivial," Griffon noted, echoing almost exactly McDouglass' thoughts on the matter.  "To be worrying about a small band of raiders when we all might be at war in the next few days."

            "We can't worry about that now," McDouglass countered.  Her mind was of course focused on the pending war with the Keilmar but she also recognized it could not interfere with what was happening now.  The raiders were a serious threat to the Earth Alliance and they were a clear and present threat.  If there was to be a war with the Keilmar, it was still some time away.  "We've got a job to do."

            Griffon smiled, feeling her own confidence slightly renewed.  Sarah was right of course; worries of the future could not distract them from duties of the present.  "Then let's go get it done."  Moments later, the two Earth Force destroyers turned away from the moon and shot into hyperspace, leaving only the field of debris behind as evidence they were there.

********************

CAPTAIN LOCHLEY'S OFFICE; BABYLON 5  FEBRUARY 26, 2272, 13:32 EST 

********************

            "These new weapon systems take up a lot more power then the defense grid previously did Commander.  We have to tie them directly into the fusion reactor rather then routing them through the defense power-grid.  It's a complicated procedure and it takes time."  The engineer on the communication screen behind the desk finished his report.

            Commander David Corwin, seated at the desk in Captain Lochley's office, which he had taken over for his own use as long as she was off station, was not pleased with the news.  It had been over two weeks since he had ordered the installation of new weapon systems to augment the station's defense grid.  At the time the order was issued, station engineers predicted it would take no more than five days to complete the installation and here they sat, weeks later with the weapon systems still not functioning.

            "How much longer will it take?"  The Commander asked, annoyed with the lack of progress.  "We've got five more days until the Alliance might be at war with the Keilmar and if they decide to have a fleet roll up to Babylon 5, I want us to have a fighting chance of living through it."

            "A few more days, at least."  The engineer was not about to lie and give a hopeful, padded estimate to the Commander only to have him breathing down his neck, demanding results that he could not produce.  "Another of the main problems we're running into is similar to the problems they had fitting these same weapon turrets on the Victory destroyers.  The design is based off of Minbari technology but we're using Earth designed reactors.  There's a compatibility problem with it."

            "Carry on," Corwin interjected, waving his hand as an indication he had heard enough.  He did not want to hear about the problems they were having, he wanted the job done.  The image of the engineer disappeared.  Corwin, rubbings the front of his head with one hand, turned back around to face security chief Zack Allan seated across from him.  "What's the status of station security?"  He inquired.  In the weeks since Captain Lochley left the station, he had been doing what he could to prepare all divisions of the station for a possible attack and security was no exception.

            "As you ordered, we're running increased patrols throughout the station as a precaution.  It's actually helped to cut down on petty crime by about eighteen percent during the past two weeks.  All of my men have been training and going over procedures for repelling troops attempting to board the station."  Zack delivered his report quickly.  He was not concerned with the ready state of his security forces, having trained them everyday, he knew they were ready for anything the Keilmar could throw at them.

            Corwin nodded.  Though he did not doubt the readiness of the station's security, he also could not underestimate the enemy they may have to face.  "Zack, I have every faith in your men but, to supplement your own forces, I've requested that Earth Force send a detachment of troops to the station.  If the Keilmar board the station, we don't know what we might be up against, I want to make sure we're able to handle anything that comes our way."

            "Are you sure that's a smart move?"  Zack retorted.  Not taking the Commander's action as an insult but noticing the potential problems that could arise from it.  "The last couple times Earth Force troops came to this station in big numbers, it wasn't exactly a pleasure cruise for anybody."  Zack cited previous incidents of destruction to station property and disturbing the peace by troops that were there on peaceful missions, not mentioning when Earth Force troops had boarded the station during the battle for their independence.

            Corwin had already taken those factors into account while making his decision and it had not been an easy one for him to come to.  "We need to make sure this station is defendable against the Keilmar trying to board it.  As HQ for the Army of Light, Babylon 5 is going to be nothing if not a tempting target for them.  Admiral Barnes has already promised more Alliance security forces to be deployed here but the Army of Light is already stretched almost to the breaking point and those forces aren't enough to hold this station if attacked.  I've spoken with General Pack who has promised he's deploying the best of the best Special Forces units to supplement our station security."

            Zack conceded that the Commander's points were valid and that the idea may not be that bad.  Special Forces units were known for being a little more civil when not in combat than normal ground pounding troops.  "Well, I can't say it's a great idea but I suppose it'll have to do if there's no other option."

            "Believe me Zack, if there were any other option, I'd take it," Corwin confidently reaffirmed.  "But hopefully it won't even come to having to fend off any sort of a Keilmar attack."

            "Have you spoken to the Captain recently?  How's the evacuation progressing?"

            "I talked to her a few days ago when she called to check on the station's status, she said the evacuation was running several days over and she doubts they'll be able to finish by the time the Keilmar are supposed to take possession of those systems."  A long pause.  "Which means we go to war."

            "Which means more people die," Zack added, the scars of past wars being heard clearly upon his voice.  He stood and nervously paced to the back of the office before turning around to face Corwin.  "When is all of this going to end?  I mean, you'd think we would have earned a break from all of this by now, you'd think the galaxy would finally decide that, hey, these people have had enough, why don't I go easy on them for a while!"  Zack exclaimed, gesturing erratically with his hands.

            Corwin could not blame the security chief for being under a great deal of stress given the situation and his past experience with loss during conflict.  "We'll make it through this Zack," Corwin could manage no other words that would bring any comfort to his friend's mind.  "One way or the other."

            Zack shook his head.  During his years on Babylon 5, all of his innocence and hopefulness had faded, distant shadows of his former self.  "I don't know anymore but we can't give up."  He shifted gears.  "When are these troops scheduled to be arriving?"

            "Five days, they've departed from the Sixth Fleet command in the Orion system and are stopping to pick up some heavy weapons before they make the jump here.  Once they arrive, you can begin scheduling them on patrol duties and integrating them into our security force."

            "Understood," Zack stood to leave but was stopped by the Commander.

            "Zack, we will make it through this."

            "Are you sure?"

            "No."  Corwin admitted.

            Allan left as Corwin returned to his paperwork.

***

            "Damn it General that's not good enough!"  Admiral Jerry Barnes exclaimed, pounding his fist upon his desk, circling back around it to face the communications monitor on the wall behind.

            On the screen, the Brakiri General, commander of their forces, winced at the sudden unexpected outburst from Barnes.  "It is going to have to be Admiral.  As I have tried to explain to you," he emphasized.  "We have neither the starships nor the personnel to devote any more of our forces to your little mission than we already have.  Perhaps if given some more time and aid from the Alliance in building up our forces, we would be able to bring more ships to your effort."

            Barnes became increasingly sick of the bureaucrat he was speaking to.  The General was not one of any great military expertise or experience, simply a person who had garnered enough political support and favors for their leadership to award him command of the fleet.  Barnes realized from this conversation that he had little interest in actually helping his allies or defending the Alliance but only interest in furthering their own position.  "And I've already told you, the Alliances resources are stressed to the limit, we can't afford to be diverting our own efforts to helping you build your forces."

            "Then this conversation is over!"  The Brakiri loudly insisted.

            "How dare you?" Barnes was disgusted with him, past the point of being angry.  "We supported you when you were in crisis, when your government was on the verge of collapse, even when we did not have to, even when we faced significant opposition for interfering with your internal affairs.  Now, even after we took a significant risk and suffered a significant loss of life to help you bring an end to the Imradis Incident, you won't even lift a finger to help us or your other allies in the Alliance when we need it most."

            "I cannot risk the security of the Brakiri in an effort to save the lives of humans," the General scoffed.  "If you were in my position Admiral Barnes, would you not do the same?  As commander of the Army of Light, you must consider the safety and the security of all in the Interstellar Alliance, I however do not share those burdens and must only be concerned with the security of my own people which will not be benefited by aiding your foolish cause."

            "You would call trying to save the lives of thousands of civilians a foolish cause?"  Barnes quickly rebutted.  "If that is true, then you really don't deserve to be sitting in the position you are."  Barnes dropped all subtleties, as it was clear his words were having no impact on the stubborn alien.

            "I care about people Admiral, just less about yours and more about mine."

            "But we're all part of the Alliance General!"  Barnes tried desperately to get the Brakiri to see things from his point of view, refusing to consider the other.  "We shouldn't be looking at ourselves as different species but all as citizens of the Alliance, we should be looking at everything with one view."

            "Then tell me Admiral," the Brakiri said cockily.  "If you were given the choice between saving my home world and yours, which would you chose?"

            Barnes was caught off guard, unsure of how to answer the question.  In his heart, the answer was plain and simple, that he would save Earth regardless but he knew he could not give that answer, not if he hoped to win this debate against the General.  Nor could he state that he would save the Brakiri home world, as the General would know easily that he was lying.  "I would weight the options," Barnes finally decided on what he believed to be a suitable response.  "I would decide which would be the best course of action for the Interstellar Alliance and proceed along that path."

            "You mean to tell me Admiral that you would allow your home to be destroyed if it would be better for the Alliance to save ours."  The General laughed at what he saw to be a preposterous statement.  "Do not take me for a fool Admiral Barnes.  This is the reason so many of us opposed the expansion of the Army of Light.  We know that when it comes down to it, no one can put aside their prejudices and make fair choices to determine who lives and who dies.  You might claim you can do so Admiral and you may even be able to accomplish it to some degree but, when circumstances really turn bad, it will be we who die before your people.

            "But nobody has to die," Barnes persisted.  "Not if we can stop this war with the Keilmar before it starts and to do that, the Alliance must pull together to defend that evacuation zone until we can get all of our people out.  By making a show of force in the zone, we discourage the Keilmar from moving in until all of our ships have withdrawn and hence we prevent this situation from deteriorating into a shooting war."

            "I have heard these arguments Admiral!"  The General countered.  "I have also heard that a heavily armed Keilmar battle squadron has recently arrived on their border near the evacuation zone.  According to my sources, they delivered your commanders an ultimatum that they will take possession of those systems on the appointed day and will destroy any of your ships or people who remain there past then."

            Barnes, again, had not expected that the General would have come across that information so quickly, the Admiral having only recently received word of it from Captain Lochley.  "Empty threats," was all Barnes could manage as a response and he doubted the General would believe it, as he could not totally convince himself of it.  "They won't risk attacking when we have so many of our ships present there."

            "For your sake Admiral, I sincerely hope not, for if they do attack, you will have sent the Alliance on a path from which we will not be able to escape and a path on which not all of us will survive."  His image disappeared as he abruptly terminated the transmission.

            "Damn him anyway," Barnes said, falling into his chair and again pounding his fist upon the top of the desk.  He turned away from the monitor and again faced the person seated across from him who he now realized he had completely ignored during his debate with the Brakiri.  Barnes was at the point now, having not slept for close to three days, where fatigue and frustration were beginning to wear him thin.

            "Temke never has been one to easily go along with anything, especially if making such a decision would benefit anything or anyone aside from himself," Assistant Director Julia Rourke calmly offered as some consolidation, seeing the state the conversation had put Barnes in.  She knew there were other factors weighing upon her old friend and mentor but could only deal with so many at one time.  "At least we have some ships from the Brakiri out there in addition to our own forces and ships from over half of the other member worlds."

            "I don't doubt our readiness Julia," Barnes quietly corrected her.  "I doubt the level of our support if this mess does bring us into a full-scale war with the Keilmar.  You heard what he said, if he's right and others do feel the same way, will the member worlds be ready to fight a war if it comes to it?"

            "Thankfully, the very reason the Alliance military act was created was to prevent us from having to ask those questions.  If war is declared against the Alliance or if we declare war against someone else, the very nature of that mandate is to make that declaration in one voice and by one entity not just a loose association of planets and governments."

            "I know that Julia," Barnes stated, gently shaking his head.  "My only concern is that, if things get tough, many of those governments will suddenly and conveniently forget the oaths they took to the Alliance and to the Army of Light.  We both know how some politicians react when popular support begins to sway from the cause they were once allied with."

            "You think if we do go to war and things go badly that citizens of the Alliance will begin to stop supporting the war and hence their leaders will do the same."  Julia recognized the pessimistic wisdom in the Admiral's thoughts.  It was no secret to her that Barnes often saw politicians as a hindrance to the military and being able to run an effective campaign.  The nature of the Interstellar Alliance increased the difficulties often caused by politics ten fold.

            "Exactly," Barnes admitted the less than hopeful view she had presented was in line with his own views.  "The majority of politicians, with a few notable exceptions, may start out with the best and purest of intentions to help their constituents and to further the common good but most always end up caring only about maintaining their popular support and keeping enough votes to get them reelected when their terms are up.  As such, they tend to forget about the common good, tending to simply sit on the fences and see which way the wind is blowing with every decision they make, not lending themselves too far in either direction at the risk the opinions of voters might change."

            "It's one of those cases where we're damned if we do have them and we're damned if we don't," Julia noted, observing that without politics and governments, the military would have nothing to serve and nothing to stand for.

            "You took the words out of my mouth," Barnes commented, effectively bringing that portion of their conversation to an end.  The Admiral, anxious to move away from discussing the motives of politicians, decided on a slightly less severe topic.  "How's Mac doing?"  He asked, knowing she was likely to have heard from Captain MacDonald more recently than he had.

            An understated, innocent smile graced her face, revealing the beauty in the woman.  "He's alright, I talked to him earlier today," she added, answering the question she was sure Barnes would ask.  "Repairs to the _Victory_ have been complete for a while and he's moving onto the next assignment we've given him, which, he asked me to give you a message regarding."  Barnes raised an eyebrow, indicating for her to continue.  "He told me to tell you that you're quite mad, possibly bordering on insanity."

            Barnes chuckled, he could almost hear MacDonald's voice in Julia's as she delivered the message.  "I had a feeling that mission would take him off guard, hopefully though, we won't even have to send him on it."

            "Do you really believe we can avert a war Admiral?"  She capitalized on the opportunity to ask the question she had wanted to since he had first brief her on the evacuation and plans to maintain peace with the Keilmar.  Jerry Barnes was not an easy person to ask such questions of.

            Barnes had not wanted to answer this question anymore than she had wanted to ask it.  Avoiding the question, allowed him to continue fooling himself that the rhetoric he had been so feverously pitching to the rest of the Alliance over the past month was true.  "I think a war is upon us," Barnes admitted, bringing a look of dismay to Julia's face.  She had, until that moment, held out some small hope to the contrary, largely based on the fact that Barnes seemed to believe so.

            "When that war comes and how it comes are the questions with which I am now concerned.  The longer we can keep the peace, the more prepared we'll be when the war comes."

            "Have you considered that perhaps if we can keep the unsteady peace we now have, it could possibly grow to something stronger?  Something longer lasting?"  Julia was still not ready to give up hope, despite the prospects for peace looking slim.

            "I hope and pray that we can everyday.  The last thing I want is another war."  He stood, unable to sit still any longer.  "You know Julia, when I took this job, I never thought I would be in the position I'm in now."

            "Oh?"  Julia queried, unsure of what he meant.

            "I never thought I'd be having to lead the Alliance into another war.  When the President and I first agreed on my accepting the position, we both knew that I didn't want any sort of a long-term commitment.  I wanted to take command, spend a few years organizing the Army of Light and getting everything and everybody into the right places and then retire.  In short, I wanted to spend the last few years of my career quietly and slip out of the public eye, find a nice quiet place and settle down.  Destiny as it seems has other plans for me."

            "For us all," Julia observed.  "I think a lot of us were beginning to look forward to living our lives without war, beginning to make some plans, develop some hopes for the future that didn't involve surviving from day to day."  She paused slightly, thinking of her own plans she had barely had time to think about before the Keilmar had come out of nowhere.  "I guess I was starting to look forward to settling down, living a life without war."

            "And you will be able to lead that life Julia," Barnes reassured her.  "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not a year from now, maybe not ten years from now but you will be able to, we all will, always remind yourself of that.  We must remind ourselves what we want in peace because if we ever forget that, we forget what we're fighting for."

            "And that's something we can never forget."

***

            In the blackness of space, dark forces converged upon the evacuation zone, their purpose single and solitary.  Positioning themselves, they laid in wait, preparing for the time that had drawn near and would soon be upon them.  The first phase was nearing completion and once it was done, they would still have much waiting in their future.  In the next few days, their path would be set.  Forces were on course for collision and they were prepared.  After these next few days, the path would be set and there would be no stopping their ultimate triumph.


	8. Chapter Seven

**  ************** CHAPTER SEVEN ******************

TRANSPORT SHIP PRESTON; EVAC. ZONE DELTA  
 MARCH 1, 2272, 19:43 EST 

********************

            The hull creaked and moaned as the aging transport ship slid through space, the rust covered deck plates straining against the stresses of space as the ship slowly made its path away from a planet of sand.  The _Preston_ was little more than a glorified cobbling together of container modules hooked to an antiquated engine and command and control section along with several other control areas throughout the drive section, charged with keeping the ship functional.  Though this vessel could barely be qualified as a ship, it still held the last hope of thousands of people.

            Packed in the cargo holds, accommodations no greater than those enjoyed by rats onboard ancient earth sea ships, were ten thousand civilians, refugees from the evacuation zone.  Huddled together for warmth, the ship not having adequate systems to provide suitable heat, all they could do was hope that the decisions the Alliance leaders had made were the correct ones.  Having lived in the evacuation zone for many years, separated from the complexities of interstellar politics meant many did not understand the complexities involved in the decision and fewer understood them well enough to attempt to explain.  It was enough for some that they were doing what they had been told to do simply because they had been told it was the right thing.

            Children gathered close to their parents, grasping stuffed animals and other treasures as they could feel nothing but fear after being hurriedly placed on the transport, torn away from what they had known their entire lives as home and seeing the looks upon the faces of their parents, those answering more questions than words ever could.  Though they could not understand the events transpiring around them, in many ways, they understood better than their parents what those events could mean, being able to see things from a simple perspective.

            The control center of the _Preston_, a simple cabin containing a single chair, flight controls and sensor displays was much the same as the rest of the ship, rusted, hastily assembled and old.  Seated in the chair, strapped in by belts across his chest, a fat slob of a man with an unusually small head was asleep at the controls, his mouth hanging open as he snored, drool rolling down his chin, oblivious to what was occurring around him.  After the first two hours of an uneventful journey, he had placed the ship on autopilot and allowed himself to dose off.  Little did he realize the dangerous turn this simple mission was about to take.

            All eyes in the cargo hold turned towards the small windows as white and blue energy ripped through the black star field in half a dozen places.  As the vortexes of energy formed, the black dagger-shaped ships of the Keilmar emerged from them, bearing down upon the helpless transport vessel, one of their destroyers, deploying its compliment of fighters and five of the bug-like gunboats.  There was a collective gasp of air as the black ships approached the transport, flying literal circles around it.  Families gathered even closer together as fear seized them, for they could do nothing but watch and wait as the enemy ships maneuvered around their own.

            "Schwabb!"  A voice boomed through the overhead speaker in the control room, resonating with feedback due to the dated nature of the equipment.  "Schwabb!"  The voice hastily and angrily repeated.  The sleeping man stirred as the voice called out to him a third time with an even greater urgency than before.  "Schwabb!  Wake up!  This is gunnery station two, we've got incoming!"  The crewmember manning one of the three defensive particle guns on the _Preston_ called again to the pilot, pleading for him to take action.

            Schwabb's eyes fluttered open and grew wide as he took note of the sensor display in front of him.  Becoming suddenly alert, he wiped the drool from his chin and firmly grasped the flight controls in front of him.  He quickly pressed several controls, transferring power to the engines and, using a lever, brought the ship up to maximum speed, burning the engines at their highest power.  The enemy ships easily maintained their mocking pursuit of the sluggish transport despite the increase in its speed.

            Seeing that the enemy was still upon him, Schwabb jerked the controls, initiating an erratic series of evasive maneuvers, still unable to shake the Keilmar fighters and gunboats, swarming around the helpless transport while the destroyer remained close behind it.  Doubting his ability to escape the pursuing ships, Schwabb took the only other action he saw as available to him.  Toggling a switch, he activated the ships emergency transponder and began transmitting on a priority frequency.  "To any Interstellar Alliance ship, this is Earth registered transport _Preston_ declaring emergency.  I say again, this is Earth registered transport _Preston_, we have encountered Keilmar warships in evacuation zone delta and are declaring emergency.  Any Interstellar Alliance ship, please respond."  He was ready to continue his distress call when his sensor panel indicated the Keilmar were jamming them, effectively putting an end to his call for help.

            An energy spike from one of the Keilmar gunboats lit up the sensor display, Schwabb freezing as he knew the likely possibility for what such a spike could mean.  A silvery white beam shot from the nose of one of the gunboats, striking the _Preston_ on the main engine, disabling the ship, slowing it to a dead halt.  Schwabb now could do nothing as he watched the enemy fighters close on the _Preston_, wondering what they could be waiting for, wishing they would get it over with rather than toying with them.

            He decided to make a last, desperate plea.  "To Keilmar warships, this is Earth transport _Preston_, transporting civilian refugees, we surrender, I say again, we surrender.  Please, cease your attack, we have innocent men, women and children onboard, please break off your attack.  We mean you no harm, we mean you no –" His plea was cut short by engulfing fire as the bridge exploded around him.  The Keilmar fighter began their attack, displaying a deadly, surgical efficiency as they quickly destroyed the command and control center, backup C&C and three gunnery stations, allowing only one shot to be fired against them.

            Screams filled the packed cargo holds as explosions rocked the ship.  Men, women and children alike could do nothing but cry; feeling helpless to stop what they now knew was their impending deaths.  Keilmar fighters positioned themselves adjacent to every window on the _Preston_'s cargo holds, allowing their victims to see their deaths coming.  For a brief moment, the panic calmed as the Keilmar fighters hung motionless in space, their noses pointed at the windows.  Every pair of eyes watched, people frozen in terror at the sight of the fighters that waited to kill them.

            A white light filled the window and their eyes as the Keilmar fighters opened fire in unison.  Firing several quick successive beams, the cargo holds burst into flames, oxygen poring forth from them in an explosive decompression.  The attack lasted only seconds, the fighters finishing and returning to the destroyer.  They left the transport largely intact but the damage was done.  The cargo holds, where ten thousand civilians were once housed, had been turned into flaming, empty graves.  The ship was left intact to be found, as a symbol of what was to come.  The Keilmar had withdrawn within one minute after the attack had finished.

            Ten minutes later, another group of jump points ripped through space above the now lifeless freighter, giving birth to five White Stars accompanied by a Narn heavy cruiser.  On the bridge of White Star 67, Anla'Shok Val'Na Greg Giovoni took the sight in stunned silence as his command pitched around, allowing him to take in a full view of what was left of the _Preston_.  Though he had not deluded himself into thinking they would be here in time to save the transport, he hadn't anticipated a sight such as this, having expected to find only a field of rubble as remains of the freighter.

            This was wholly different.  The Keilmar had been precise in their attack; this was obvious from the damage.  They had crippled the transport, preventing an escape and then fired on it in such a manner that it would kill all onboard but leave the hull of the ship intact.  Giovoni wanted desperately to tear his eyes away from the view port, no longer wanting to look at this mass grave but could not do so, something inside him forced him to look on.

            "Scan for survivors," he ordered, no glimmer of hope gracing his voice.

            The Minbari operating the operations console, located on the right of the command chair, slowly pressed several controls, bringing the ship's sensors to life, marked by a series of noises emanating from his console.  When the scan completed, he took his eyes from the wreckage in front of the ship and studied the display, the results bringing no surprise.  "Detecting no life signs Val'Na."

            Giovoni suppressed the urge inside of him, to order his wing across the Keilmar border and target the first of their kind he saw.  He knew now was not the time for such impulsive actions, that they had too much work to do, now more than ever.  He stood, silent for several minutes, his crew waiting for action but understanding how he felt, faced with the unprovoked death of so many innocents.  Slowly, he turned and made his way back to the command chair.  "Open a channel to Captain Lochley, tell her the war just started."

***

            "It was a foolish move," Executor Tari'Kan scolded the Keilmar at his side as both clamored down the dark metal laden corridor of his command ship, the _Sek'Al_, roughly translating to _Death's Hand_.  He was more than displeased with the reckless, impulsive decision undertaken by one of his destroyer commanders.  By attacking an Alliance transport carrying their people away from the evacuation zone it forced him to explain to the Kaishar why his ships had been in territory that still did not belong to them.

            "My apologies Executor, but I merely wished to follow your orders," the Kantarh or commander protested, believing he had done nothing wrong.  The two black armor clad figures rounded a corner and proceeded silently through another corridor to a doorway at the end of it.  Tari'Kan keyed in his personal access code, prompting the door to his private sanctum to slide open, the Kantarh following him inside.  The room was large and dark, save for one light source in the center of the room and dim lights upon the walls, showing off the many decorations the Kantarh could not make out from the distance.

            "My orders did not involve firing on any of their vessels," the Executor refuted as he disappeared into the dark shadows of his sanctum, the Kantarh struggling to make out his location.  "My orders were to recon the system," Tari'Kan continued, his voice echoing throughout the large room.  "To report back the locations of their ships and to determine if their withdrawal from that system had been completed.  I did not order nor sanction any engagement, especially an engagement that ends in the death of ten thousand humans onboard a defenseless transport.  Perhaps you do not realize the difficult political situation you have put us in with this impetuously made attack.  It will now be even more difficult for our leaders to continue convincing the Alliance that all we want is to live in harmony and peace with them."

            "You yourself told me that war with them was coming soon!"  The Kantarh hissed angered by the stern lecture he was receiving from the Executor who, though his superior officer, was far younger than he and hence it was difficult for him to look upon him with the reverence typically accorded to the executor of the fleet.  "Our troops are anxious.  We have tasted the thrill of battle with our swift destruction of their Seventh Fleet and we are forced to back down in order to allow time for this treaty game to come to an end.  It is difficult for us to simply back away once a battle has begun.  My men needed to feel the thrill of victory again!  The thrill of the kill!"  Hearing no response from the Executor, the Kantarh continued with his argument.

            "Why must we waste time with this treaty you told me was meaningless?  Why can we not attack them now while their forces are weak and their guard is lowered?  We should strike at them now and drive them to their knees!  All of this delay, this diplomatic meandering is unnecessary.  They have now seen a demonstration of our power, our willingness to kill, we must finish the job we began with their Seventh Fleet!  We can conquer them all!"  He watched as Tari'Kan emerged from the shadows, standing almost behind him.  Cocking his head over his shoulder, looking into the Executor's red eyes that glowed with anger but seeing a cold, calm expression on his face, he continued.  "Then you and I will walk together on the home world of the humans, and toast our victory with their blood!"

            "Victory will belong to us," Tari'Kan stated calmly as he circled behind him.  When the Kantarh began to turn and face him, the Executor placed his hand on his shoulder, holding him in place.  "But it is not your place to question how that victory will be achieved, it is only your place to fight when and where I tell you to fight."  He pulled his hand off the Kantarh's shoulder, reaching for something at his side.  "And you failed to do something as simple as that."

            "Executor, you told me to secure the system I –" A piercing pain in his lower back and the feeling of blood filling his throat cut off his final appeal as Executor Tari'Kan pierced him through the back with an elongated, double pointed dagger, finding the point between two plates of the black armor worn by all Keilmar military personnel.

            As the Kantarh choked on his own blood, gasping for air, Tari'Kan leaned close to his ear, gently whispering in it.  "Your second heart has been pierced," he stated bluntly.  "Right now you are experiencing shock as your body tries to reroute its functions to your first heart.  In a matter of seconds, your first heart will have been filled with a great deal of blood."  As he twisted the dagger into the Kantarh's back, his other hand slid from his side, positioning another dagger above a gap between two plates of armor near his chest.  As his gasping and choking slowed, the Executor stabbed the second dagger at an angle through the gap of armor into his chest.

            Blood flowed from the open wound, down his armor, covering the floor beneath him.  "Your first heart has now been pierced," the Executor coldly informed him, as all life seemed to fade from his body.  "It will take approximately five minutes for the blood to drain from your body.  You will lose consciousness very soon."  He paused, moving his head around, staring into the Kantarh's shocked eyes.  "You should not have failed me."  Even after his second heart being stabbed, the Kantarh was still able to resist slightly but with the loss of his first heart, the resistance disappeared as his body went limp, dangling on the two blades held in place by Tari'Kan.  

In a swift motion, he pulled both blades from the body, letting it fall lifelessly to the floor.  Two black armored guards wearing black helmets entered the room, making their way without hesitation to the body of the Kantarh.  "Remove that," Tari'Kan ordered, gesturing to it.  The guards collected the body, each taking a shoulder and hauled it out of the Executor's sanctum, leaving a trail of blood on the floor as it drained.

He strode back across the room to the place on the wall where he had retrieved the pair of daggers from their hanging place.  Before replacing them upon the wall, he turned and gazed at the door to his sanctum where the guards had just exited carrying the body of the Kantarh.  The man was a fool but parts of what he said had been correct.  Tari'Kan also felt the need for battle, the thought of peace did not sit well with him and he felt his blood boil with the need to destroy his enemies.  Unlike the Kantarh however, he also knew the need for patience in reaching their goals and knew that through patience, they would achieve their ultimate purpose and their race would endure for thousands of years.

Still gazing at the door, he raised one of the daggers towards it.  "To our victory," he toasted, his black tongue licking the blood from the blade.

********************

EAS _HADES_; HYPERSPACE STAGING AREA  
 MARCH 1, 2272, 20:07 EST 

********************

            "The _Persephone _is in position Captain, all ships accounted for and standing by to attack."  Ensign Perry reported from the tactical station of the destroyer _Hades_.  The Omega class destroyer _Persephone_ was the last ship in this hastily assembled Earth Force task force to arrive at the hyperspace staging area adjacent to the coordinates they had been given for the raiders command and control base.

In all, eleven destroyers, including the _Hades_ and _Dark Thunder_ the two destroyers that had been chasing the raiders since the beginning, were assembled for the attack against the raider base, where information placed the majority of their capital ships as well.  Advanced probes they had sent into the system confirmed the presence of both a small star base and several large ships of varying design, a raider trademark.

The plan of attack was a simple one, designed by Captain McDouglass and Captain Griffon to inflict maximum damage upon the raiders and to secure information regarding, among other things, their operations throughout the Interstellar Alliance and the suppliers of the advanced weaponry they had been using in recent weeks.

"Very well," Captain McDouglass said, moving across the bridge back to the command chair from the tactical map she had been studying, displaying the most recent surveillance data they had received from their probes in the target system.  "Order all ships to reset communications to secure frequency two seven three eight.  Tell all attack wing commanders to prepare to engage."  She settled into the command chair, toggling a switch that placed the secure frequency on the bridge overhead speakers so she could easily monitor communications traffic during the coming battle.

"All ships report ready Captain," Ensign Perry informed her.

"Tell the first wing to form on us, move into position and activate jump engines."  McDouglass ordered, prepared for battle and ready for their long pursuit of the raiders to finally be brought to an end.  This battle would be the culmination of months of work towards ridding the Earth Alliance of dangerous pirates.

"EAS _Apollo _and _Nemesis_ are in position."

"Jump engines online, standing by to jump!"

The order was given.  Jump points surged through space a short distance from the cobbled together space station where several raider battlewagons, carriers and smaller ships were docked.  The Warlock destroyer emerged from the center jump point, the two Omegas covering it on each side.  The heavy particle beams of the _Hades_ lashed out, slicing through the hull of the closest battlewagon, cutting the ship perfectly into two halves as the beams raked across the pirate cruiser.  Fighters blasted out of the hangars on all three ships, Starfuries forming a defensive screen around the destroyers while Thunderbolts moved to engage the station and surrounding vessels.

Raiders responded, defensive gun turrets along the perimeter of the station coming to life, tracking in on the approaching Earth Force fighters while Zephyrs launched from three different bays, also speeding towards the approaching attackers.  Power blooms were detected in the power plants of the six battlewagons, three carriers and eight support craft, a mixture of antiquated corvettes and other smaller platforms.  The raider ships began slowly turning towards the Earth vessels while the station defense guns opened fire, spraying the stars with lines of orange pulses.  The sky lit up as fighters were destroyed in balls of fire and others fired upon their opposition, both sides taking significant losses.

_Hades_, _Apollo_ and _Nemesis_ opened fire with every weapon in their arsenal, orange and blue pulse cannons disintegrating the Zephyrs engaged against their fighters, red lasers and particle cannons slicing through and puncturing the hulls of the raider corvettes, the first of their capital class ships to move into the engagement.  The few raider fighters daring enough to maneuver close enough to the destroyers were instantly destroyed by sustained defense grid fire.

Outmatched against the superior number of raider fighters and heavy fire from the station's defense grid, McDouglass gave the order for her fighters to break away and move to make a stand with the destroyers.  As the Thunderbolts terminated their engagement and fled at high speed towards their mother ships, the few pursuing Zephyrs were cut to pieces by pulse cannon fire from the destroyers.

Captain Sarah McDouglass watched the battle unfold both on the forward screen as well as on the tactical map, displaying digital images of ship symbols, updated in real time using the data from their sensors.  The heavier raider capital ships, carriers and battlewagons had powered up and were beginning to turn towards the _Hades_ and its strike wing.  She listened to the open communications channel for a moment as the fighter wing leader announced how close they were to the destroyers and how many raiders were still pursuing.

As the three destroyers continued their attack, eliminating three more raider support ships and damaging a reactor onboard the station, Captain McDouglass saw no better time to play their ace in the hole.  She toggled a switch on the right arm of her chair, opening a channel to the rest of their forces, still holding position in hyperspace.  "Captain Griffon, you ready?"  She queried, somewhat sarcastically as the ship was rocked for the first time by a hit from the station's defensive weapons.

"Give us the word," the _Dark Thunder_ Captain anxiously answered.

"Do it," she ordered with conviction.

On all sides around the station, blue and white energy of eight jump points surged through space, each bringing forth a new Earth Force destroyer, surrounding the station and the raider ships around it.  Fighters launched and engaged as precisely targeted lasers and particle cannons stripped away the gun turrets lining the station, rendering it defenseless in a matter of seconds.  The threat of the station, for the time, eliminated, the destroyers broke off, engaging the remaining battlewagons and carriers.

Captain McDouglass took no time to relish in how smoothly the battle was proceeding thus far, knowing too well that there was more than enough time for things to begin going badly.  The ship rocked again, taking two hits from laser cannons onboard an approaching battlewagon.  "Get me a shooting solution on that ship," she ordered, looking over her shoulder and pointing a finger at Perry, emphasizing the urgency of the command.

Quickly running his fingers across the controls, he carried out her instructions.  "Shooting solution locked in, missile launchers targeted."

"Fire!"

A dozen missiles launched from the starboard launcher of the _Hades_, their tails glowing bright red as they zoomed towards the approaching battlewagon.  Its defensive weapons retaliated, attempting to shoot down the deadly attackers before they reached the ship but to no avail.  The missiles landed on target, the first three detonating against the armor of the warship while explosions from the remaining weapons sliced into the hull, ripping the ship apart as they detonated.

On the other side of the station, the EAS _Dark Thunder_ found itself squaring off against a battlewagon and a carrier.  The Shadow-tech destroyer held its fire, closing in on the two ships, taking several unnoticed hits from lasers and pulse weapons of the raiders as the distance between them lessened.  Flying between the two ships, the side guns of the _Dark Thunder_ opened up on both in a brilliant display of blue and green color as the enhanced weaponry cut through the hulls of both vessels, leaving them burning hulks as the Earth destroyer flew past them, firing several additional volleys with her aft cannons to finish the job.

Within minutes, the battle had ended with the destruction of every raider capital ship and fighter present in space.  Captain McDouglass allowed herself a brief smile at seeing the first phase of their plan had been completed realizing however that the second was likely to be more difficult.  She joined Perry at the tactical station.  "Tell Colonel Marcellus he has a go.  Signal the _Dark Thunder_ and advise Captain Griffon that Colonel Cuellar has a go as well."  Minutes later, as the Earth destroyers formed a blockading formation around the station, a marine breaching pod departed from both the _Dark Thunder_ and the _Hades_, moving towards the station.

The two circular ships landed on opposite sides of the dome shaped station, forming an airtight attachment against the hull of the base, lasers cutting an entrance for the troops carried inside.  Inside the darkened corridor, primary lighting having failed due to several hits to the main reactor, a piece of square metal, roughly six feet tall fell to the floor from the ceiling above.  

Colonel Antonio Cuellar dropped from the hole into the corridor, quickly sweeping all sides of it with his rifle at the ready, probing the corridor with the attached laser-sighting device.  He was soon followed by three more marines dressed in black tactical gear who, along with the Colonel, secured the immediate area, meeting no resistance.  He toggled his headset microphone, ordering the rest of the boarding party to proceed.  Forty-six additional marines dropped from the breaching pod into the corridor, all taking up defensive positions around the immediate area.

"Listen up people," Colonel Cuellar drew their attention, his voice was what everyone would expect from a soldier of his experience, calm, cool and authoritative.  "First three tactical teams with me, we're making straight for command and control at the center of this shack.  Last two tactical teams with Captain Stevenson, secure and search all cargo areas for any sort of weapons or other contraband."  His orders were to the point, not wasting his time with anything that did not need to be said.  "If you encounter any resistance don't hesitate to fire but be sure of your targets, remember the team from the _Hades _is over here as well and we don't want any friendly fire casualties.  Questions?"  He harshly demanded and received no response.  "Move out!"  He ordered, readying his weapon and moving down the corridor, three teams of troops following him, the remainder moving out in the opposite direction.

They quickly proceeded through several decks of seemingly endless corridors, delicately sweeping every inch in front of them with tactical lights and laser sighting systems attached to their rifles, still encountering not a single raider.  Knowing this to be mostly a supply and coordination base, Cuellar had not anticipated a large amount of crew or security personnel but he had anticipated encountering slightly more resistance, especially now that they were reaching the core of the station.  The teams under led by Captain Stevenson checked in, reporting they had reached the cargo area, also not encountering any resistance.  Marines from the _Hades_ also checked in, reporting that they were nearing the reactor area, having encountered only light resistance from a small raider security force.

At the end of another long corridor, they reached a sealed metal bulkhead, leading to the command center.  The thirty marines deployed in two columns down the corridor as Colonel Cuellar and a Lieutenant approached the door.  Using hand signals, Cuellar ordered the Lieutenant to attempt to open the door using the control panel located on the bulkhead to the right.  He keyed in several combinations but with no success, the door remaining it its closed and locked position.

Cuellar raised his hand, giving the signal for the breaching team to move forward.  Six marines emerged from the columns, three of them carrying heavy equipment in large, nylon duffle bags.  They quickly unpacked the breaching charges and detonators from the bag, placing just enough explosives to breach the door but to avoid breaching the hull.  After setting the charges, they gave a signal to the Colonel that they were ready.  The Colonel and all except for two of the marines fell back to the front of columns.  Of the two remaining, one held the master detonator controls and the other a stun grenade; ready to toss it into the room the second the charges breached the door.

"It's a focused blast," the soldier carrying the detonator whispered to the one with the grenade.  "It'll blow into the door but we might get a little residual punch off of it so be ready."  The marine with the grenade nervously nodded as the one with the detonator began counting down five seconds using his fingers.  When the count reached zero, he clenched his fingers into a fist and pressed a red button on the remote.  The charges exploded sending a barrage of shrapnel and debris into the command center, quickly followed by the marine tossing a stun grenade inside.  The grenade went off, marked by a loud banging noise and a bright light.

Colonel Cuellar gave a hand signal and charged forward through the breached door, the rest of the Marines quickly following behind him.  As the smoke cleared in the command center, several disoriented raiders brandishing rifles and small arms became visible.  Cuellar trained his weapon upon one, the rest of the marines also taking aim, his laser sight falling directly on the individual's head.  "Drop it!"  The Colonel sternly commanded.  Many weapons fell to the ground as all the raiders present surrendered without a fight; the Earth Force marines took them into custody as they secured the command center.

Shortly after the raiders had been removed from the command center, escorted to the shuttles the _Dark Thunder_ was sending over, the marine contingent from the _Hades_ checked in, advising they had secured reactor controls and were working to restore power to the main computers for the purpose of commencing a data dump to the destroyer.  They would then be rigging the reactor to go critical once the marines' work on the station was done.

Immediately following the team from the _Hades_, Captain Stevenson contacted Colonel Cuellar.  "Colonel, we've secured the cargo hold, seventeen raiders in custody," he advised, the tone of his voice leaving Cuellar to believe there was more to the reason the Captain had contacted him.

"Anything else?"  Cuellar was not the type who liked to beat around the bush, especially when information that could be important was concerned.

"Yes sir," he replied apprehensively.  "It seems like we stumbled on some sort of meeting down here, we've got crates full of heavy weapons and," a hesitant pause.  "We've got something down here sir and, you'd better come see, you're not going to believe it."  Cuellar was frustrated by this point but also curious to the point where he needed the information.

"I'm on my way Captain."  He killed the radio by flipping a switch on his tactical belt.  "Lieutenant Jordan, you're in charge here until I get back."

********************

ADMIRAL BARNES' OFFICE; BABYLON 5  MARCH 1, 2272, 20:48 EST 

********************

            "Tell me you don't believe that!"  Captain Lochley exclaimed, her face displaying in equal measure as her voice the signs of her anger at the situation as she locked eyes with Admiral Barnes from the communications monitor in his office.

After knowing her for over eight years, Admiral Jerry Barnes would have hoped she knew him well enough to know he wouldn't be fooled by something so blatantly fictitious.  "Of course I don't Elizabeth," he insisted.

"Then how come we aren't doing anything about this?"  Barnes had the advantage over Lochley of being away from the frontlines and hence removed from the personal aspects of this conflict with which they were faced.  "They deliberately killed over ten thousand civilians and we're sitting back and doing nothing while listening to their ambassador giving us some bull shit story and Sheridan saying that all is forgiven!"

Barnes winced at the verbal attack from the Captain.  He could understand her feelings; his had been one and the same when he had first learned of the destruction of the transport ship _Preston_.  Shortly following the discovery of the attack by White Star 67, the Keilmar Narcon, ambassador in their language, had issued a rather lengthy explanation regarding why the attack had taken place.  The statement had stopped short of apologizing for the attack, stating that they believed today was when they were to take possession of the sectors, claiming that something in the translation of the treaty had been a mistake and that they would withdraw their forces until the appointed day arrived.

"Because we need the time Elizabeth."  She gave him a curious look as his statement raised more questions than it answered.  Barnes circled around his desk, sitting down at the chair and turning to face her.  "The President is fed up by these games the Keilmar are playing with us," the Admiral commented, his voice close to a whisper.  "Even after they issued the statement saying the attack was a mistake, large elements of their fleet were deployed along the border, no doubt preparing to move into those systems as soon as the treaty allows.  We're going to use these next two days to move as many of our forces as possible into the systems where you are.  Your orders, effective immediately, in addition to safeguarding the lives of any civilians, is to hold those systems against any Keilmar advance."

Lochley was taken far unprepared for the orders given to her by Barnes.  Though she had hoped for some sort of response by the Alliance to the Keilmar attack, she had not anticipated measures so drastic as to defy the treaty they had established with them for the sole purpose of preventing a war.  "You realize Jerry, that if we refuse to withdraw when their forces arrive, it's very likely to start a war."

Barnes was reminded of the conversation he had moments ago with Sheridan when the President gave him those same orders, this conversation with Lochley being virtually an echo of that one.  "Yes I do."  He admitted.  "We've tried peace Elizabeth, we've made more concessions than we should have and done everything in our power to avoid this but nothing has worked.  They don't want peace, no matter what they claim, no matter what kind of show they put on and no matter what kind of lies they tell, it's becoming pretty obvious the only thing they want is war and they've just been biding their time before showing their true colors."  He felt himself becoming increasingly agitated, simply at the thought of the Keilmar and the lies they had been telling for the past month and took a moment of silence to allow himself to relax, not wanting to betray that he was as angry as she.

"I am willing to go to war if it is the only way to protect the Alliance and ensure that these Keilmar do not continue to threaten us and our ways of life.  War is coming and if that is the only way to bring peace back to this galaxy then I'm willing to fight."

"So am I," Lochley softly conceded.  "So what's the plan?"  She moved on, her confidence returning.

Barnes confidence was also reinvigorated as he began to brief her on the new mission.  "Every element of the White Star Fleet that can reach your location by the third is now en-route as are ships from the Minbari, Narns, Earth Force and a couple of the other member worlds who are willing to support the war against the Keilmar.  You are to consolidate your fleet and take up position in this system," he spun around, tapping a control on his desk, transmitting to Lochley a map of the evacuation zone with the location marked on it, spinning back around to face the monitor.  "It's the closest to their border and likely the system they will try to take possession of first.  You are not to fire first but you are authorized to defend yourself and the territory as needed.  Meanwhile, President Sheridan is going to be speaking with their leaders, trying to come up with a new set of terms, this time in our favor, using the attack on the transport as leverage.  It's not likely to work, but he has to try."

"If they attack?"

"If they attack," Barnes answered.  "The President will issue a statement declaring war upon them and the council will enact the Alliance military act."

Lochley was hit with the sudden realization of what would be happening in the next two days.  "And do you think the member worlds will support that war?  From what you told me a couple of days ago, it doesn't sound like there's too much support for any action against the Keilmar."

Barnes had felt the same way days before, especially given the level of support they had been receiving at the time from many of the more moderate member worlds.  "Shortly after the attack, just after we found out about it, ISN and every other planetary news network broke the news."  He dropped his voice slightly, providing subtle emphasis to his words.  "People across the Alliance are outraged Elizabeth.  In the short time since the attack happened, protests against the Keilmar have been organized, people are demanding retribution and calling on their governments as well as the Alliance, demanding that some kind of action be taken.

"Though they haven't come straight out saying they'd support broad military action against the Keilmar, President Sheridan and the rest of our supporters on Minbar feel like many of the Alliance leaders are beginning to come around now that popular support is beginning to sway away from peace."

Lochley laughed lightly, finding a bizarre humor in the Admiral's comment.  "It's funny that after all this time trying to bring peace to the galaxy we're now suddenly wanting everyone to support the prospect of an intergalactic war."

"We need that support Elizabeth," Barnes added, not finding the humor she had.  "Everyone is tired of being pushed around and bullied.  If given the choice between lying down, taking whatever they do to us and fighting them, it seems as though most are coming around to the idea of not wanting to fall back any further."

Lochley smiled, a silent agreement with his words.  For a fleeting moment, neither of the two officers said anything to the other, an exchange of glances saying more than they could have with any words.  "I suppose I have a great deal I need to be taking care of."

"And not a lot of time to do it."

"Any last minute instructions?"

"If this does come to war, until the member worlds forces are placed under my command and can become organized, your fleet is basically all that stands between us and the Keilmar," Barnes had debated whether or not to burden her with the grave repercussions that there would be if the Keilmar broke through her forces.  "The White Star Fleet cannot fail in this duty.  Whatever types of forces they send, you must hold them."

"Understood Admiral," she coldly acknowledged, not allowing any emotions to show.

"And come back safely," Barnes added, allowing his emotions to truly show through for the first time in the conversation.  She smiled as her image disappeared, replaced by the symbol of the Interstellar Alliance.

Barnes leaned forward onto his desk, virtually exhausted, having barely slept this past week, working to do what he could to prepare the Alliance for exactly this event.  Returning to the paperwork that had formed a mountain upon his desk, he was quickly pulled away by the chiming of his link, a sound that had moved in his mind from routine to annoying.  He toggled it on, slowly raising his wrist close to his face.  "Barnes."

"Admiral," Commander Corwin spoke with an urgent skepticism in his voice, withdrawn but hurried at the same time.  "We've just received an ultraviolet transmission from the _Hades_ and the _Dark Thunder_, both of them are on their way here, Captain McDouglass says they've found something you need to see, something they don't want to discuss over communications at the risk the transmission might be intercepted.  They say the few people that know about this right now, the better."

Barnes curiosity was peaked; as was concern over what they could have discovered that had to be kept so secretive.  He accepted however that there was little he would be able to learn at this point, knowing contacting the _Hades_ would do no good if Sarah had already set her mind on not talking about it until they arrived.  "How long?"  Was all he had to ask.

"Six hours."

It was going to be another long, sleepless day.

***

            "What do you think it could be?"  Vice Admiral Michael Taylor watched as Admiral Jerry Barnes continued to pace back and forth throughout the arrival lounge, he himself standing still.  With the time nearing three in the morning, the two of them had been waiting for the arrival of the _Dark Thunder_ and _Hades_, which was now overdue by several minutes, for the past half hour, the signs of anticipation and fatigue were beginning to show on his superior officer.

"I have no idea," Barnes had asked himself that question more times than he could count since he had learned the two destroyers were on their way to the station and still came up with no feasible answer.  "Since they left here after the ceremony, the _Dark Thunder_ and the _Hades_ resumed their mission to put an end to the raider groups that keep springing up inside Earth Alliance territory."  Barnes noted, remembered the past two months had seen both an increase in raider activity and an increase in the damage they had been causing throughout the Interstellar Alliance.  "I can't imagine what they could have found while conducting the mission that would make them drop everything and set course for Babylon 5."  Taking advantage of the time they had, Barnes switched to another pressing topic.  "What's the status of our fleet buildup on the Keilmar border?"

Vice Admiral Taylor had been charged with issuing orders to all available ships whose governments were willing to support the military buildup to rendezvous with the White Star Fleet and other forces that were already stationed in those sectors.  "Slowly progressing.  Multiple Earth, Minbari and Narn units are en-route.  They're pulling everything they have that can reach the rendezvous in time and are sending them.  The Drazi have sent a contingent of warships as have the Vree but they're not willing to send everything they can, wanting to keep some elements of their fleets close to home."

"Understandable," Barnes admitted, the Alliance having taken similar moves to protect its own key installations and planets, Babylon 5 and Minbar falling at the top of that list.  "What's the best estimate for the number of ships we'll have by the time the Keilmar are scheduled to move in?"

"Between nine hundred and one thousand capital class ships along with support ships.  We don't know what kind of firepower the Keilmar can muster but ours should be an impressive showing no matter what kind of forces they send at us."

"But will it be enough?"  Barnes displayed a pessimism that had become his norm in the past month.

"I don't know," Taylor confessed.  "Everything we've seen has shown that the White Star Fleet can stand up to their forces when it comes to technology but we have no idea what type of numbers they'll send at us or if they have technology they haven't revealed to us in battle yet but either way, they'll be in for one hell of a fight."

"That they will but let's hope the President can still work out some sort of a diplomatic solution to this mess."  Though Barnes knew they were as prepared as they could be for a potential war, it was still something he only wanted to resort to as a last recourse.

Taylor shook his head, having discounted that possibility in his own mind some time ago.  "With everything we've seen from the Keilmar, any sort of diplomatic agreement from this point on will be nothing but another exercise in delay on either our part of theirs.  I think you know that," Taylor pointing that out, despite Barnes' seeming hopefulness for a peaceful solution, he seemed to realize a war was on the horizon.  "And I think the President and all those other diplomats on Minbar realize it as well."  Barnes nodded, a silent admission.

Barnes' link chimed, he answered it with a renewed vigor.  "Barnes, go."

"Admiral, the _Hades_ and the _Dark Thunder_ have just jumped in.  Captain McDouglass is requesting you join her onboard the _Hades_ as soon as possible."

Barnes and Taylor shared a look of skepticism; both having assumed the Captain would present whatever it was she had found to them onboard Babylon 5 rather than the _Hades_.  "Did she advise why?"  Barnes ask, hoping to probe Commander Corwin for any other information he may have received but neglected to inform them of.

"I asked Admiral and she said it would take too long to transfer everything you need to see and also expressed concerns for the prisoners if she tried to transfer them to the station as well."

Having no further need to question her actions, Barnes acknowledged and ordered a shuttle to be immediately prepared for Vice Admiral Taylor and himself.  Within two minutes, they were leaving the docking bay onboard a standard Earth Force passenger shuttle with Taylor at the flight controls.  Exiting the docking bay, Barnes took note of the area around the station, always quiet at this time of morning.  Aside from a plethora of White Stars, a Minbari cruiser and the small engine glows of Starfuries on patrol, there was little traffic around the station.  Though it was not a site he was often able to see, Babylon 5 from this perspective at this time of day, when the night lighting of the station illuminated the silver and blue hull, always managed to put him slightly at ease.

Looming just off the jump gate, coming into view as Taylor pitched the shuttle around, the two massive forms of the _Dark Thunder_ and the _Hades_ two very different ships with two very similar ancestries.  While Taylor angled the shuttle towards the glowing red docking bay of the _Hades_, Barnes' gaze remained fixed on the _Dark Thunder_.  Even after all these years, he still felt a unique attachment with his former command, feeling as though they were still connected in someway, the same feelings he had felt from the day construction of the destroyer began.

Taylor did not take note of Barnes focusing on the _Dark Thunder_, instead paying attention to his flight path.  Initiating a final approach maneuver for docking, he activated the communications system, transmitting on a standard Earth Force frequency.  "Babylon 5 shuttle one one three eight two to _Hades_ control, request landing clearance."

"_Hades_ to Babylon 5 shuttle, you are cleared for immediate landing," an urgency marked even the voice of the communications officer.  Whatever it was they had found the crew no doubt knew what it was.  Taylor brought the shuttle in for a smooth landing in the dimly lit landing bay of the Earth Force destroyer.  The two officers stepped out of the shuttle, their boots clanking against the metal deck plates of the destroyer.

Captain Sarah McDouglass was the sole Earth Force officer who awaited their arrival, snapping to attention and delivering a crisp salute as the two Alliance officers approached.  Lacking any true enthusiasm in doing so, Barnes returned the salute.  She stood at ease; Barnes looked into her eyes, seeing dark circles beneath them, it was evident she too had not slept in some time.  "Admiral Barnes, Admiral Taylor, thank you for coming so quickly."

"You didn't leave us with much of an option Captain," Taylor sarcastically commented with a wry grin, beating Barnes to the punch.  Captain McDouglass slightly chuckled, recognizing the humor intended despite it being a serious comment.

"I apologize for being so secretive but this isn't your everyday thing," the Captain gestured down a corridor leading away from the docking bay, the two Admirals following her.  "I didn't want to risk anyone listening in if I told you over communications channels and for our own security, I didn't want to risk having to transport anything over to Babylon 5."  The short walk led to an empty, waiting lift, the three officers stepping inside and Captain McDouglass keying in a destination for one of the lower decks, the lift taking off with a low whining noise.

"Commander Corwin said you mentioned something about prisoners."  Barnes skipped straight to the point that had attracted his interest more than any.  Everything about the mysterious arrival of the _Hades_ had him curious but whoever these prisoners were, they were likely to be the largest part of the reason Captain McDouglass had chosen to bring her command to Babylon 5, not wanting allies of the prisoners to get word they had been captured and were onboard the _Hades_.  Still, he wondered ultimately how important they could be if they were found during the hunt for raiders.

"We're on our way to see them now, then I think everything will start to make sense," she spoke confidently, only serving to add further puzzlement to the minds of the two Admirals.  "We found them on a space station we attacked yesterday, a raider base of operations," she decided to fill them in on the background of the situation while waiting for the lift to reach its destination.  "These raiders, during the past couple months, have been greatly stepping up their attacks on not just the Earth Alliance but on all Alliance member worlds."

"That's true," Taylor confirmed.  "In fact losses to raider activity during the past month has been higher than any recorded in the past decade.  They've also become a lot more brazen in their tactics, even going so far as to target military forces, managing to destroy several ships in the process.  Though the losses haven't been grievous, they have hurt the member worlds enough to slow them down in the event any mobilization would have to take place."

A realization seemed to hit Captain McDouglass, the scope of her discovery now becoming even more evident.  "It all makes sense then," she whispered.

"What makes sense?"  Barnes insisted, growing tired of waiting for answers.  The lift came to a stop, the door slid open and Captain McDouglass led the way down another corridor.  Barnes took note that they were on the security deck of the ship, apparent by markings upon the walls, the prisoners Captain McDouglass continued to speak of were likely being held on this deck.

They approached the detention area, two guards outside standing at perfect attention saluted, Captain McDouglass returning it and moving quickly to the door, keying in her access code to a digital pad on the door.  The three officers stepped inside the main office, where two security officers observed monitors that looked in on all of the thirty holding cells.  The two light brown shirted security officers hastily snapped to attention, springing from their chairs and removing their feet from the desk, when the Captain and two Admirals approached.

"On the station," Captain McDouglass chose to continue with her briefing rather than scold the two security officers.  "We boarded the station after destroying the raider ships surrounding it.  Onboard, we found crates full of advanced weaponry, designs we've never seen before aside from on some of the raider ships we previously captured in the last month.  It didn't make a lot of sense until we found these three in one of the cargo bays, along with detailed schematics on how to adapt these weapons to the raider ships."  She snapped around, looking at one of the security officers, gaining his attention without using any words.  "Put up cell three on this monitor please," she pointed to the central monitor that was currently blank on the wall in front of her.  The officer tapped a series of controls, activating it, displaying a color image of the holding cell.

The answers Barnes had wanted became all too clear the instant he saw the image.  Seated on the gray metal bunk, surrounded by equally simple metal walls, was a large figure clad in deep black armor, bearing no other distinguishing markings.  All but the head of the figure was covered; his skin was a scaly blue color, looking in itself like a second armor.  Barnes had embedded the face of this enemy in his mind for the past month but now was shaken seeing them in such a position.

"What do you want to bet those weapons turn out to be Keilmar as well?"  Captain McDouglass accurately explained her theory, the same as the one Barnes and Taylor were quickly developing in their minds.

"They've been planning this all along," disgust dripped from Barnes' soft voice.  "While operating under the guise of wanting peace they've been working to disrupt any chances of responding to an attack if they were to make it."

"What are you going to –" Admiral Taylor's question was cut short by the chiming of Captain McDouglass' link.

"McDouglass."

"Captain, I don't know where it came from but a Keilmar dreadnought just jumped in right on top of us.  They've identified themselves as the _Sek'Al_ and state they're here under a flag of peace for parley.  The officer we spoke to claimed they have someone named Tari'Kan onboard and he is wanting to speak with Admiral Barnes onboard his ship."

"Admiral, I don't think it would be wise," Vice Admiral Taylor was quick to voice his objection.

Barnes shook his head.  He was tired of the endless series of games the Keilmar had been playing with them during this past month and made a decision that it would end now.  He toggled his link on.  "Barnes to launch bay, prepare a shuttle, I'll be leaving shortly for the Keilmar ship."  He switched his link back off and raised his hands to block the coming protests from both Taylor and McDouglass.  "It's time we confront them, about the lies, about the sneaking around behind our backs and about what they really see this coming to.  If going face to face with the commander of their forces is the only way to bring the truth out then I'll do it without thinking twice.  Plus I have a bargaining chip," he gestured to the three monitors where the Keilmar prisoners were being watched.  "Perhaps I can use that to succeed in some sort of diplomatic option where the President has failed but, if there is to be a war, I plan to make the games stop here and now."  Not wanting to hear any debate on the subject, he stormed out of the room.

***

            From the instant he arrived onboard the Keilmar warship, Barnes could not help but feel unwelcome.  Though he made it no secret he was coming alone and unarmed, the Keilmar guards still saw it fit to thoroughly search both him and the shuttle he piloted over.  Escorting him through the dark, drab metal corridors were eight guards, three standing in front and behind him with one on each side, clad in the normal black armor he had learned to associate with the Keilmar military.  The only differences he had observed in any of these sets of armor were the markings upon them.  The quantity and color of various markings upon the shoulders and chest plate of the armor appeared to signify rank, remembering the blue and gold markings on the armor of the Executor when they had first met one-month prior.

They escorted him through a series of seemingly endless corridors.  Each was the same with no distinguishing markings or even so much as a symbol to indicate where they were.  Though Barnes prided himself on his since of direction, for all he knew, they could be leading him in circles.  Finally, after what Barnes figured was at least ten minutes of walking, they came to an end of a corridor and a black door with two additional guards standing outside of it.  One of the door guards, each of which wore a single red echelon on both shoulders, turned to a digital panel on the wall next to the door, typing in a code with his left hand.  With a hiss, the door slid opened, the guard commanding Barnes to enter.

Stepping inside the room, Barnes was quick to make note of his surroundings.  Though the room was dark, there was enough light for Barnes to see it was essentially a large, easily twice the size of Babylon 5's command and control center, empty room.  The only furniture he could see was a single desk near the wall in front of him, the middle of which housed a large circular window, flanked by digital tactical maps on either side and, in the center of the room, a small circular pad with a light source emanating from it.  

More so than the furniture, or lack thereof, it was the walls Barnes took note of.  To the left of him, the wall was decorated, covered almost completely in a large collection of shining bladed weaponry.  Barnes saw several shapes that bore striking resemblance to classes of warships from the Keilmar fleet, confirming his theory that their designs were based off bladed weaponry from the Keilmar culture.  The blades were neatly cleaned, their handles all black, decorated in gold trim with red, blue, purple and green stones and other metals.  Dim lights upon the walls illuminated the blades, making them standout even in detail.

Adorning the right wall were items that took Barnes even further by surprise.  Made quite clear by lights hanging upon the wall were art pieces of all sizes from many worlds Barnes recognized and others he did not.  Though he would not claim himself to be an expert on art from any world, including his own, he did recognize the origins of several different pieces.  Paintings, sculptures, statues and other pieces from the Minbari, Narns, Brakiri and Drazi, along with several from his own home he could distinguish.  The others that he did not recognize, he could only surmise were from other member worlds of the Alliance.  He gasped at the sight as his eyes became fixed upon it, realizing that the Keilmar had been studying them for far longer than the Alliance had know of their existence.

"Quite a collection is it not?"  The unmistakable voice, one that had been burned into his memory after only a brief encounter came from behind Admiral Barnes.  His metal clanked against the deck as the Executor approached from behind Barnes, who had turned to face the assortment of art upon the wall.  Barnes looked over his shoulder at the approaching Keilmar who walked with a confident stride and carried an arrogant grin on his black lips.  "My only regret is that I was unable to procure originals of these works."  He stood just behind Barnes, giving the Admiral almost no heed as he admired his own collection.

"How did you get these?"  Barnes was alarmed at the picture now painted for him.  Until this point, he thought the Keilmar had simply stumbled across them when they encountered the Seventh Fleet but now that belief was changing, now he began to realize the Keilmar had been planning this for a conceivably long time.

"Does it matter?"  Tari'Kan mocked.  He extended his arm, pointing to the largest painting, housed in a dark wooden frame behind a piece of glass, taking another series of loud steps forward, standing side by side with Barnes.  "'Starry Night' I believe it is called.  I don't know why," the Executor mused as he gazed at the painting, almost lost in it.  "But I think it is my favorite, so simple, yet so complex at the same time.  Much like your race Admiral," he turned and looked at the Admiral who was still facing the wall.  "Art is something of a hobby of mine."

"I never much cared for his style and art can only tell you so much about a species," the Admiral commented, displaying his familiarity with the artist.  Barnes faced Tari'Kan who had returned to gazing at his collection.  In the imposing presence of the Keilmar Executor, he felt weak, almost powerless.  Aside from the obvious fact that he was physically larger than Barnes, something about the power he seemed to carry made Barnes feel inferior standing beside him.  "What is it you wished to discuss?"  He was uneasy and his voice betrayed it.

Tari'Kan's head shot around, his face still showing his arrogant grin as his eyes met those of the Alliance Admiral.  He looked Barnes over once before speaking.  "You hold three of my soldiers onboard the EAS _Hades_.  They were taken, approximately seven of your hours ago, from a space station by Earth Force soldiers," he snapped around and began striding to the center of his sanctum, Barnes turning and watching him but remaining where he stood.  "I want them returned to me."

"You come all this way yourself to negotiate for the release of three lowly prisoners?"  Barnes challenged, intent on not allowing Tari'Kan to dominate him during this exchange.  "Seems like a rather unimportant duty for someone of your standing."  Aside from not wanting to allow the Executor to control the conversation, Barnes also wanted to seize the opportunity to try and get into his enemy's head.

"Every soldier under my command Admiral is my primary concern," the Executor launched a counterattack, pivoting on his feet to face Barnes again as he reached the center of the room.  "Certainly you can understand that, with your distinguished record of service."  Tari'Kan pointed to the digital monitor on the right side of the wall and pressed a concealed button on the arm of his armor.  The image shifted from a tactical map to displaying a picture of Barnes with scrolling text beneath it, the Admiral instantly recognizing it as his Earth Force service record.  "Jerry Lucas Barnes, assigned to the EAS _Dorsetshire_ as fighter wing commander, a year out of officer school, during the Minbari War."  Though he was reading it from the display, Tari'Kan seemed to have most of the information memorized.

"Promoted to first officer following an injury that prevented you from continuing to pilot fighters and after the first officer was killed during the same attack.  Captain Mills noted that you had excellent command potential.  Assumed commander of EAS _Dorsetshire_ after the Captain was killed during the closing days of the war.  Led the defense of Proxima 3 and jumped into the Sol System just after the Minbari had surrendered."

"I don't need to be read my own records," Barnes protested, wanting to get to the point, disregarding the urge to try and discover how the Keilmar had acquired his Earth Force service file.  Though it was not information of the highest classification, he still could not understand how this race they had never heard of until two months ago had so much information on the Alliance.

"You are sure?"  His confident composure did not falter.  "It is very interesting, I've read it several times."  He pressed the control again, the display returning to displaying the tactical map.  Barnes attempted to study what region of space was displayed on the map but could not tell, given he could not read the Keilmar language.  "I find it important to know all you can about your enemy," he walked closer to Barnes, standing only inches in front of him, locking his beady red eyes with the Admiral.  "Don't you agree Admiral?"

Barnes shook his head, determined not to allow Tari'Kan to best him.  "We're not at war Executor, we're not enemies yet," he countered; displaying a new found confidence in doing so.

"Very good Admiral," the Executor wryly nodded his head and smirked with his response.  "Very good.  But let me assure you of this," Tari'Kan's mocking tone vanished, replaced by a stern, commanding voice.  "If you do not release my people then there will be war, I promise you that.  I will do whatever is necessary to see my soldiers returned home safely, if that involves crippling the _Hades_ and taking them by force that is what I will do."

Barnes, taken aback, having not anticipated such a stern response from Tari'Kan, acted accordingly.  "You'll be destroyed if you do.  The _Hades_, the _Dark Thunder_, Babylon 5 and every other ship out there won't hesitate to blow you out of the sky, even with me onboard, I've already made sure of that."  Barnes allowed a slight pause as he continued his offensive.  "And let me assure you of this, if you try to occupy our territory, there will be war.  The Alliance is no longer willing to standby while we come under attack."

"You would violate our treaty by refusing to cede those systems to us?"  The Executor took the opportunity Barnes presented him.  He was determined to make the Alliance see that peace was what the Keilmar wanted, despite the truths of the situation.  If he could make Barnes seemed like the aggressor, he believed it would be so much the better.  "It seems to be that you are not as interested in peace as you seem."

"You have already violated the treaty!"  Barnes fired back.  "Or at least the spirit in which it was adopted, to keep our two races at peace and to keep the galaxy from falling into the abyss of war but you have attacked civilians, supplied arms to pirates in an effort to disrupt our military.  We are not the ones interested in a war here!"

"We are digressing!"  Tari'Kan was forced to the defensive.  "Release my people now!"

"Then you will drop any and all claim to those systems along our border and withdraw your battle squadrons that have taken up position near them."  Barnes played his gambit, testing how truly sincere this Keilmar was about protecting his people and protecting the peace.

"I do not have the authority to do such a thing!"  The Executor hissed his response.  "I have come only to retrieve my soldiers, not to try bargaining with you for their release!"

"Come now Executor," Barnes continued his offensive in a mocking tone.  "Surely you do not expect me to believe your government sent you to secure their release without giving you any kind of authority to negotiate for it."

"My government does not even know I have come here Admiral."  The Executor dropped his defense, revealing his true motives to the astonishment of his adversary.  "When I briefed the Kaishar on the capture of our operatives by the _Hades_, he ruled it to be acceptable losses," the Executor circled Barnes, his head hung low.  "But I do not consider the loss of even one soldier to be acceptable, not when there is a chance that I might be able to do something to ensure their safe return home.  Every Keilmar is sworn, as soon as they are old enough to understand the oath, to fight and die for the Empire if they are called but I have seen too much death in my time Admiral, I have participated in too much killing.  Though I do it without question, when the opportunity arrives for me to try and save one of my soldiers, I will take it, regardless of what foolish leaders may think."

"We have the chance Executor, you and I, right now to stop anymore killing from happening.  We both know the treaty was nothing more than a fool's show and we both feel it collapsing beneath us, but we have the opportunity now, you and I, to build something stronger.  Build something on the foundations of trust and honesty rather than on lies and deceit."

"It is too late for that Admiral," the Executor admitted, his true colors showing more than ever.  "Wheels have been set in motion that cannot be stopped and my race is running out of time.  We must act soon or there will be nothing left."

"Why do you keep saying that the galaxy will be destroyed if you cannot stop something?"  Barnes cut in on the middle of his speech, insisting for answers.  "What do you know that we don't?"

Tari'Kan sighed and shook his head.  "I cannot say."  He looked Barnes in the eyes, a sincerity falling into his voice.  "You and I are soldiers Admiral, warriors, nothing more and nothing less.  We cannot hope to prevent the inevitable, we can only hope to lead our races through it and survive.  All I am here to do is bring my people home.  I have nothing to offer you in exchange for allowing them to return aside from my promise to one day show you the same humanity you would be showing me by allowing them to go free."

Barnes was moved by the appeal.  Though they were very different people, in many ways, he could see himself in Tari'Kan's position doing the exact same thing.  He slowly brought his wrist to his face and toggled the link on.  "Barnes to _Hades_, have the prisoners transferred to this ship, on my authority they're being released."

"Admiral, I –"

"Do it Sarah," Barnes reiterated, toggling the link off.

"I appreciate your kindness Admiral," Tari'Kan gave in to his emotions, dropping the cold, powerful front he had been putting on.  Barnes turned, slowly proceeding towards the doorway of the Executor's sanctum.  "But remember," his words caused Barnes to freeze in his stride.  "The next time we meet," his red eyes pierced into Barnes' soul.  "We will be enemies."  Barnes said nothing, leaving the sanctum and escorted back to the waiting shuttle by the same eight guards.

While piloting the shuttle back to Babylon 5, Barnes signaled Vice Admiral Taylor to return to the station and signaled command and control to clear him for an immediate landing.  With the shuttle on autopilot, Barnes looked out the window at the black form of the Keilmar dreadnought as it jumped through a swirling red vortex into hyperspace, once the shuttle from the _Hades_ had finished transferring the prisoners.  His conversation with the Executor left him unnerved and uncertain about what the coming days would bring.  The Keilmar leader seemed much like two different people at times, causing the Admiral to wonder which was his true self.  He realized that part of the powerful, deadly image the Executor put on was showing commitment to his duties but Barnes considered that it may be less of an act than the part of him that seemed to be interested in preserving the peace.  By the time the short flight was over, he had an answer and had made a decision, setting his course of action with no chance of return.

Within four minutes, Barnes was back on Babylon 5, quickly striding through the arrival area, on a direct route for his office.  "Barnes to C&C," he spoke into his link as he walked.  "Get a priority channel to the _Victory_, ultra-violet priority, tell Captain MacDonald I need to speak with him now."

***

            "Understood Admiral," Captain Edward MacDonald bluntly acknowledged.  "How soon can we be expecting the order to move?"  Having been fully briefed on the Admiral's plan, that was the only questioning looming in his mind.

"Soon," Barnes confirmed his suspicions with a single word.  "I've ordered Captain Lochley to begin broadcasting messages across the Keilmar border, advising them that if they try to move in and occupy those sectors that they will be met with deadly force."  He paused, rubbing his eyes, obviously fatigued.  "But I doubt that will be enough to deter them.  Captain Lochley has been ordered to send you a coded message in the event they do cross the border, that will be your signal to go."

"So long as Lochley is able to keep their forces occupied, we should be able to slip into their territory unnoticed."  Captain MacDonald, since first devising this plan in cooperation with Barnes weeks before, had ran multiple simulations to help train his crew for the event they would be called upon to perform the mission.

"Let's hope so Captain."

"Get some sleep Admiral," MacDonald could easily pick up on how tired his former Captain was and knew how stubborn Barnes could be.  "The galaxy can survive without you for a few hours you know."

Barnes sarcastically grinned.  "I'm not so sure about that anymore Captain."

MacDonald laughed slightly, feeling he should have learned a long time ago that there was no reasoning with Barnes when he got in moods like this.  "We'll be waiting for the go order from Captain Lochley, the Keilmar won't know what hit them," he assured his old friend.  "Good luck Admiral Barnes."

"To us all Captain MacDonald," Barnes offered with little hope in his voice.  "I have the feeling, in the next few days, I have the feeling every one of us is going to need our share of luck."  Barnes image disappeared.  Captain MacDonald rotated his chair away from the communications monitor and back to the front of the bridge.  The morning shift of the IAS _Victory_ was just coming on duty, taking their stations after relieving the night shift.  MacDonald considered taking the advice he had given Barnes as he was nearing his twentieth hour on the bridge of the destroyer.  Commander MacKenzie would be on duty soon and the Captain felt somewhat comfortable leaving the ship in his care long enough for a quick nap.

Then he considered that there was too much to do, especially now that Barnes had given the order placing the _Victory_ on standby.  There was far too much he still had to do and, it seemed, far too little time in which to see it done.  This feeling was no stranger to Edward MacDonald, he could feel a war looming on the horizon, he felt the breaking point was near.  Feeling a renewed vitality as his duties were upon him, he shot his head around to the operations officer.  "Open secure channel theta three to the _Night's Eye_."

On the communications monitor hanging from the ceiling at the Captain's side, the image of Val'Na Natalie Johnson set against the backdrop of her bridge burst into view.  "Barnes has put us on standby," MacDonald disregarded any pleasantries or greetings, making his point quickly.  "All we're waiting for is the go ahead order once the Keilmar cross into the evacuation zone.  You are cleared to begin phase one."

"Understood sir," was her only acknowledgement before the image disappeared.

MacDonald slowly rose to his feet, surveying the bridge.  "Listen up people," he drew the attention of the bridge staff away from their consoles, all eyes focusing on him.  "The galaxy is about two steps away from war and we're on the front lines.  Everyone knows what is expected of them and what you have to do.  Let's go to work!"  The bridge crew applauded him; those short words were all that was needed to motivate the dedicated soldiers.

In the darkness of hyperspace, a single ship, the black form of the IAS _Night's Eye_ broke away from the stationary battle group that stretched further than the eye could see, comprised of ships from dozens of different races.  The black ship proceeded forward on a course for the inevitable.

********************

BABYLON 5  MARCH 2, 2272, 19:09 EST 

********************

            Standing in the gallery, gazing into the stars, Jerry Barnes found himself lost in them.  After spending the entire day waiting for word as to if the Keilmar had crossed into the evacuation zone, and hearing nothing but reports of all quiet, Barnes finally made the decision to take a break from the war room.  Gazing at the stars from this perspective, almost able to feel the station's rotation, usually put his mind at ease, something that had become a rarity these past months.

Today seemed to be an exception.  His thoughts still rested exclusively on the fleet in the evacuation zone and how, any moment, the Keilmar could attack them, this being the day they were scheduled to take possession of those systems.  So far, their battle squadrons had kept a wide distance from the border but Barnes could not ignore the warning he had been given earlier by their Executor, that war was coming.

He considered, perhaps, that Tari'Kan had reconsidered their position and managed to convince their leaders of the same.  Shortly following his conversation with the Executor, the Keilmar battle squadrons withdrew from their places along the border and Captain Lochley had reported no additional sightings of their forces.  This was offset by the fact that President Sheridan was having no luck contacting their leaders, meaning the situation with the Keilmar had reached a virtual stand still.  Barnes, tired of the games and lies that had marked their entire relationship with the Keilmar, was beginning to wish they would just attack.

Chiming of his link broke through the still silence, snapping Barnes out of his momentary daze.  "Barnes."

The voice of Vice Admiral Taylor came through and from the tone his first word carried, Barnes knew very well what his second in command was calling for.  "Admiral, we just received a garbled transmission from the evacuation zone, reports coming in are still sketchy and we're trying to sort it all out, but we know the Keilmar have attacked.  The report came from White Star Ninety-One, it broke up quickly but they advised there was heavy fighting but the Keilmar have them outnumbered and outgunned.  Captain Lochley had ordered a general retreat and our forces are attempting to regroup and make a stand in sector 2100.  They said the attack came quickly, that a large fleet jumped into the system, their sensors and communications briefly went dead and one of their fighters was shot down, everything went to hell after that."

Barnes almost lacked the strength to overcome the initial shock.  He had known the moment was coming but could barely face the consequences now that it had arrived.  "Casualties?  Losses?"  He managed what he believed to be the most important questions first.

"White Star Ninety-One didn't have any sort of an accurate count, we're trying to break through the communications jamming now to get an update on the situation."

"Elizabeth?"  Barnes choked on her name.

"They reported that the _Valen's Hand_ had taken a hit to its jump engines and was taking heavy fire from three Keilmar dreadnoughts when the White Star jumped out of the system.  Again, we're trying to break through the jamming now and get a status update from them."

Now that the war had begun, Barnes had a final pressing question he needed an answer to.  "What about Captain MacDonald?"  If he knew his former first officer as well as he though, by now Mac would be well on the way to his mission.

"We received a transmission, he monitored what is happening and his battle group is en-route.  Admiral," urgency marked Taylor's voice.  "You'd better get up here, reports are coming in from across the Alliance that Keilmar battle squadrons are advancing on the member worlds, we're attempting to organize a defense, we need you sir."

Barnes did not know what he needed to do though he did know where he needed to be.  "I'm on my way," he toggled his link off and quickly snapped around, facing the door, beginning a quick stride towards it.  He managed only four steps before he halted in his advance as Captain Sarah McDouglass appeared in the doorway.  Her elegantly beautiful face was distressed as she looked into his eyes, saying more than she could with words.

"I was, on my way to see you," she said softly, her voice deeply troubled.  "I heard."  She took several small steps towards the Admiral, who remained still, closing the gap between them to almost nothing.  "What are we going to do?"  She said, looking up to him with eyes that still carried a hint of innocence.

"Fight them," Barnes said, barely believing the words he used to try and encourage her.  "Fight them, beat them back and kill them."

"Do you think it will be that easy?"

"Is it ever?"

"No," her head dropped.  Though he knew Sarah was strong, Barnes also knew her better than to think she would easily take the concept of another war.  "It never is."

"War can't be easy.  Nothing worth fighting for comes easy," Barnes repeated the words he had said to others and to himself many times before.

Barnes placed his hand under her chin, providing some small amount of comfort to her as he raised her face and looked her deeply in the eyes.  "It'll be all right.  We'll make it through this, like we always do."  Suddenly, he was the strong one, trying to provide her with hope.

"I know," she collapsed against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.  Their brief moment of tranquility could not last however.  Both of their links chimed simultaneously.  Vice Admiral Taylor informed Barnes that they had broken through the jamming and had a distorted channel open to the IAS _Dragon's Fire_, one of their destroyers still fighting in the evacuation zone.  Reports were also coming in that the Keilmar had engaged Alliance forces at seventeen other locations.  Captain McDouglass' first officer onboard the _Hades_ advised that she had an incoming ultraviolet transmission from Earth Force HQ.

"I've got to go," Barnes said, realizing duty could wait no longer.

"Me too," McDouglass recognized the call of her own duties.

Both officers left the gallery together, quickly parting and making their way down separate corridors.  Despite the urge by both to do so, neither looked back.


End file.
